The Courtship Of Nathan's Father
by Moviepal
Summary: Newly edited and added on to! After a bad breakup with Sam,Freddie returs ten years later a widower with three year old Nathan. Carly decides to get Nathan a new mom, hopefully a blonde, blue eyed one!
1. The Plan

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 1: The Plan

This has been edited better and now expanded. Thanks for the kind words and so here we go with the complete story.

The following story is loosely based on the book, movie and T.V. show

"The Courtship Of Eddie's Father"

It had been almost ten years since Sam had been in Seattle, and so much had changed. She smiled as she drove past the Groovy Smoothie. Those were some good times. That was before real life slapped her in the face.

She'd dated Freddie for almost a year in college. They had been very happy then. She knew he loved her and that she loved him. They were headed for the "happily ever after" when the whole world blew up in her face.

While Freddie was at work one night, Sam went out to eat and ran into Gordon Willis, a guy from one of her classes. They talked and had a few drinks and then they went back to the apartment she and Freddie shared. She never understood why she let it happen, but she ended up in bed with him.

She didn't see him when he came in, but Gordon did and started to laugh as he walked in.

Here she was on top of Gordon and Freddie just stood there. She heard him sniffle and jerked her head around to see him crying.

He never said a word; he just walked out and never came back.

"Hey bitch, we're not done yet," Gordon shouted at her.

"Yes we are nutsack, I just lost my whole world and you're the cause of it!"

"I think you had a hand in it to baby," he said and grabbed her by the arms and shoved her down on the bed, "You little cocktease, I'm not done yet.

He would end up rapeing her twice and beating her up. She didn't try to defend herself at all. In the back of her mind she thought she deserved it for what she had done to Freddie.

After she went to the hospital and talked to the police, Gordon was arrested and then released on bail. The next day Gordon was found in the quad with the shit kicked out of him and the words "rapist" written on him. They never caught the person responsible for it.

Freddie transferred to another school and left everything he had at the apartment. She spent years looking for Freddie, but he just dropped off the face of the earth.

She got married three years ago to Brian Thompson. Everything seemed to be going good. Freddie was always lurking somewhere in her heart and mind, but she really tried with Brian. That is till she came home early one day and found Brian and Steve in bed. She thought it was so ironic that she walked in to the exact same scene that Freddie did.

That was one and half years and one divorce ago. Her friends tried to get her to go out, even going so far as to set her up, but she never did. Freddie loomed large in her mind and heart.

She pulled into the Bushwell apartment parking lot and got out of the car and started to walk in. She had decided Two weeks ago to move back to Seattle and start fresh. Carly had told her that Miss Benson had moved and her apartment was up for rent.

Sam knocked on the door and waited. Carly opened the door and squealed, "Oh my God Sam, I've missed you."

"Same Here Carlotta," Sam smiled back.

The two old friends went to the manager right away and signed the lease of the apartment and went to lunch.

They talked about everything but Freddie. They both tiptoed around the subject. Finally Sam brought him up.

"Ever hear anything about Freddie?"

"Not one peep," Carly answered.

"God Carly, I miss him so much, Sam begins to say, "What the hell was I thinking even talking to Gordon much less sleeping with him?"

"I'm sorry Sam, but that's spilled milk now. We need to go to the park and talk; it was always a place that made you happy."

"Sure Carly, let's go."

When they get to the park they sit on a bench and just talk and laughed. Sam began to smile a little more and relax.

As they talked a big yellow softball came rolling up as a very small boy, maybe three year old tops, came running after it. His cap was two sizes too big and the mit he wore looked to be larger than he was. He was laughing and reaches the ball that had now stopped at Sam's feet.

"Cuse me pretty wady, I need to get my ball. I hope it not hurt wou," the charming little man said.

"No sweetie, I'm fine," Sam said as she smiled at him, "That's a very nice ball you have there."

"Thank wou,"he said, "My dude got it for me."

Sam smiled and asked, "Your "dude?"

"My daddy, he's better than a dad, he's a dude!

Sam and Carly both smiled at this remark. The young man had dark brown hair and big brown eyes and both women thought he looked like Freddie.

"Well, big guy, what's your name?" Sam asked.

"Nathan, Nathan…"

"Hey Nate you get lost dude?" came a voice from the past.

Sam and Carly just stared as they saw Freddie walk up to the boy and pick him up.

"Freddie?" they both said at the same time.

"Hello ladies," he said as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just vanished for ten years, "I see you've met Nathan, my son."

They both looked from him to the boy (and checked the ring finger, he had one) and spoke almost at the same time, "he's precious Freddie. He looks just like you."

"No he's really cute and handsome, I'm not," Freddie smiled at his son.

"You and your wife live around here?" Sam fished.

"Nate and I do, Noel died a year and a half ago," he said quietly.

"I'm so sorry Freddie, what happened?" Carly asked.

"Cancer, it was very sudden and quick," he stated.

"I'm so sorry. You've lived here all these years and never called me?" Carly asked.

"Oh no, we just moved here four days ago. I've been finishing up from the move and spending time with Nate till I start work on Monday. We opened a new office here and I came to run it."

"Who do you work for?" Sam finally waded into the conversation.

"Myself, I own "Sat Tel" the software company," he told them.

"Isn't that based in France?" Sam asked.

"Yep, I went to France to finish collage and met Noel and we started the company together. After she died I just couldn't stay there anymore, it hurt too much."

"I'm so sorry for your loss Freddie," Sam told him.

"Well you know, life doesn't always give you what you want," he said looking her in the eyes, "but you take it as it comes. You just trust in God and know you get what you need. The three years Noel and I had were worth the pain, besides I got Nathan out of the deal. He saved my life. I couldn't crawl into a bottle because I had him."

Nathan had laid his head down on his "dudes" shoulder and was fast asleep.

"So what about you two, what's up?"

"Divorced," was all Sam said.

"Still looking," Carly threw in.

"Well then some guys somewhere are blind, because you both look great," Freddie smiled.

"Thank you," Carly said.

"Thanks Freddie and you look great, well maybe a little thin, but good," Sam smiled.

"I get the thin a lot,' he smiled.

"Listen, let's have dinner together, tonight," Carly suggested.

"Ok, mind if Nate tags along?" Freddie asked.

"Sure, then we'll have two good looking men with us at dinner," Sam said as she touched the sleeping boys back.

"Ok, say six-thirty then?" Freddie said.

"Good we'll meet at the Bushwell then."

As he walked away Sam felt something inside her that she thought she had lost.

"Sam, SAM," Carly called her out of the trance she had fallen into.

"A little less drool, and put your eyes back in your head. We need to go get ready."

"He looked really good, didn't he Carly?" Sam said.

"Yes and his son is so sweet. Sam you've got that look in your eye," Carly complained.

"Just wondering."

The dinner went well and Nathan was the star. He was very charming (like his daddy) and took a big shine to Sam. They talked for hours catching up. They then went back to Carly's apartment and Nathan curled up in his father's lap and fell asleep.

'I need to go; little man has pooped out on me. This has been fun."

"Let's do it again, soon," Carly suggested.

"Sure he said, but please don't be trying to set me up on dates Carly, I'm not ready for that," He told her.

"You mean you think I would…"

"Yes, and don't."

"Good night, Sam," he said and gave her a big hug.

She felt a warmth and static charge from his touch even after all these years. She breathed in his scent and longed to kiss him, but she knew this wasn't the time or place. 'God I was so stupid! I let him slip away from me and now it may be too late,' she thought.

After he left Carly smiled at Sam.

"Carly, now you're the one with a gleam in her eye. What the hell are you planning?" Sam asked.

"It's going to take some time and a few bad dates, but we're going to get Nathan a new mom. A blonde, blue eyed one," Carly smiled.

"Carly, he just got through telling you NOT to fix him up," Sam reminded her.

"Really," Carly smiled and winked at Sam, "I must have missed that part of the conversation."

"Carly, I refuse to take part in this plan. Freddie isn't looking for a wife or anything else and you damn well know he wouldn't be coming to me for that anyway!"

"Sam, the only thing you have to do is be available to babysit; I'll take care of the rest."

Oh my God Carly," Sam looked at her friend in amazement, "you'd use that sweet innocent boy as a tool to try and get Freddie married? Carly, he does not now, nor will he every want to marry me. That ship has sailed!"

"Well that boy needs a mother and if not you, then I'll find someone who will marry him. All I need from you is babysitting services… and maybe a little time spent with Freddie to find out how the land lays as I get him out in the dating world."

"Carly!"

"Sam," Carly flashed the puppy dog eyes and sad pout that she knew would make Sam cave, "I have no sex life, no boyfriend or prospects of one, and I need to meddle in this and fix him up for my sanity. PLEASE!"

"Shit Carly," Sam sighed, "I need hip boots for all the bullshit your slinging, but ok."

"Yah," Carly smiled and clapped her hands.

"Now, since I have no stuff yet, may I sleep on the couch tonight?" Sam asked.

"Oh sure, but take my bed, I'm off tomorrow and I've got some planning to do"

"You sure?" Sam checked again.

"Sure, I've got work to do," Carly smiled.

As she walked up the steps Sam said more to herself than anyone else, "I can see this blowing right up in her face."

Carly heard what her friend said but she smiled as she thought to herself, 'If it kills us all, I'll get those two together and married.'

"Good night dude," Nathan whispered as Freddie tucked him in.

"Good night dude," Freddie kissed the boy on the forehead and said.

"Dude?"

"Yes Nate."

"I like the pweety lady"

"Oh you did, did you? Which one?"

"The lady with yellow hair, I had fun with hur," the young boy said.

"Yes, she's very nice. Now you need to sleep, ok."

"Ok," the boy said, "but dude, how come you smiled at hur all night?"

"I tell you that when your older my man, now sleep. I love you," Freddie smiled down at his son.

"Night dude," Nathan said as his eyes closed.

Freddie walked out of the room, turning on the "Booger Bear" night light, and quietly closed the door.

He walked through the hallway toward the master bedroom. He got undressed and took a shower. He then dressed in his sweats and tee-shirt and sat on the bed.

"Hi Noel," he said to the air, "Well we're all unpacked. I ran into my old friends Carly and Sam today. We had dinner and I think Nate likes Sam. He really does take after me I guess. I haven't had a chance to tell Sam that I'm not mad at her anymore or what I…You figured out as the reason she did what she did, but I will, I can use all the friends I can get.

Nate and I played in the park today. He's really doing well. He's growing like a weed. His laugh is just like yours."

Freddie laid down on the bed and kept talking, "I miss you. Even with Nate here, I'm lonely and scared. So far it's ok, but what if I screw up Nate's life because I'm not a good father. Honey, I feel lost without you here. I try, but I can't move on. I still wear my wedding ring. I feel like I need to. It keeps women at bay and I want that. I would feel like I was cheating on you if I went out with anyone. I know Carly is going to start on me about dating and I don't know what to do," he begins to cry, "I miss your warmth, your laugh, the way you would touch me, but most of all I miss you! You made me a better man and a better person in general and I feel lost without you."

He laid there for a few minutes and then dried his eyes and climbed into bed and turned off the lights. "Good night Noel, I love you and will talk to you tomorrow," he said to the empty space beside him.

Sam showered and dressed for bed, sweats and the old "Hard To Die" tee-shirt she took from Freddie. She wore the shirt to bed every night and had for ten plus years. He looked good, maybe a little sad, but good. Nathan was adorable! He was almost a mini-me of Freddie. It made her want to cry, to know that that could have been her life and her child if she hadn't have blown it. God, why had she been so stupid. Spilt milk indeed.

Let me know what you think.


	2. Phase 1

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 2: Phase 1

Sam finally made it to work at Seattle Weekly magazine with five minutes to spare. She had applied for the job six months ago and had been ecstatic when they had asked her to take the job. She had worked hard to get through collage after Freddie left. She wanted to prove that she could do it to him, thinking that he would come back and forgive her. After two months she finally knew that he wasn't coming back. She spent months in a deep depression.

She had found a love of journalism while going through the trial of Gordon Willis for her rape. One of the women covering the trial had interviewed her and Sam found the job fascinating. Gordon had used the "consensual sex" defense, but the pictures of Sam at the hospital proved his undoing. He even tried to blame his beating on her which didn't go over well with the jury. He ended up getting five years in jail.

Sam spent years in therapy over the rape. It took her years to believe that it hadn't happened because of the hurt she had caused Freddie. The thing she never figured out was why she did it. She did learn to forgive herself, but she also never let Freddie go. He had been a force in her life for so long that she found that letting him go left a hole in her that couldn't be filled. So she kept a part of him (as well as his tee-shirt) with her. Whenever she felt like quitting or taking the easy way out, Freddie would appear and put her back on the right track. It was because of him that she came back to Seattle. She needed a new start and Seattle was the answer. It didn't escape her that the irony of the whole thing was Freddie lead her back to Freddie. She knew a romance of out of the question, but a friendship with him was worth trying to get back.

"You ready for your first assignment?" her new boss Carrie Ford asked.

"As I'll ever be," Sam said.

"The international corporation "Sat Tel" has opened an office here and the owner has come to town to run it. It's a very big deal and brought many jobs to the area. I want you to interview the owner Fredward Benson."

Sam laughed at the name "Fredward" because she knew he hated it.

"Do find something funny about this?" Carrie asked sternly.

"I'm sorry; no it's just that Freddie hates to be called Fredward with a passion."

Carrie raised her eyebrow and looked at Sam. "Freddie?" She said it with a small lilt in her voice like it was some kind of juicy gossip.

"We went to collage together for a year and we were friends for years before that," Sam smiled.

"Oh," Carrie said sounding disappointed, "Did you know his wife?"

"No, we fell out of touch. I never met her."

"Here take a look," and Carrie handed Sam a picture of Freddie and Noel at some beach. Noel was beautiful. She was maybe five foot three or four, long blonde (hum, blonde) hair and tanned skin. Freddie look like a Greek god, tanned and finely chilsed, his hairy chest and abs flat and ripped. 'Shit,' she thought, 'did I just moan?'

"I know honey," Carrie said, "the man is HOT with a capital HOT! Did you two ever date?"

"No," Sam lied, "but I wish we had."

"Try to get him to talk about his plans for the area and if you can get him to open up about his wife even better," Carrie told her.

"Does he know that I'm coming, I mean as in me Sam is coming?" she asked.

"Not you, just that a reporter from the magazine is coming," Carrie said and added, "Is this going to be a problem?"

"Not in the least."

She was brought in to the massive office building and ushered to the top floor. The executive assistant to Freddie brought her into his office.

"Can I get you something to drink Ms. Puckett?" she asked.

"No thank you," Sam told her.

"Mr. Benson will be with you in just a minute."

"Thank you," Sam smiled.

She found herself in a large office decorated very tastefully and full of Nathan. Freddie obviously loved the boy with all his heart. She found one photo on his desk that broke her heart. It must have been taken sometime after Noel got sick because she had a scarf around her head and looked very thin. She was in a chair and Freddie was bent down beside her and she held Nathan, who looked to be a year old. Despite everything she glowed with life that flowed out of the picture. She was in love with the men in her life and it showed.

"She passed away seven days after that was taken," Freddie whispered looking at the photo.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to be snooping," Sam said.

"Yes you did," Freddie smiled at her, "Hi Sam. I was surprised to hear that you were my interview."

"So was I, this is my first day with the magazine and you're my first, interview that is," she said as he smiled a slightly provocative smile at her almost slip. She blushed despite herself.

"So you became a journalist," he smiled, "How do you like it?"

"I love it," she smiled back.

"So, shall we begin?" he asked.

The interview lasted about an hour and went pretty well. Sam didn't ask about his wife and Freddie didn't volunteer any information about her. As they wrapped it up, Freddie went to his phone and buzzed his assistant and asked about the rest of his appointments. She named them off and he asked her to call them and reschedule them for later.

"So, do you have to go back to work right away, or can an old friend buy you lunch?" he asked her.

They went to one of Seattle's better restaurants and had lunch.

"Look Freddie, before we talk I have something I need to say so please let me say it," Sam began, "I'm so sorry for hurting you like that. I wish I could tell you why it happened, but I don't know why it did."

"You mean you really don't know?" Freddie jumped in.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You still don't see what it was?"

"No, and you do?" she said with a touch of anger in her voice.

"Sam, please I'm not trying to make you mad, but Noel helped me see what it was while I was beating myself up over what I had done to make you do that to me… us," Freddie told her.

"You blamed yourself for that?' Sam said with a touch of sorrow in her voice.

"Well yeah, I thought I had done something to drive you to that."

"Oh Freddie," Sam whispered.

"Noel helped me see that it was you doing what you always did when things got to close or emotions got involved. You would expect things to go wrong and if they didn't, then you blew them up yourself, to keep from getting hurt. After we talked and she helped me look at things you did in the past it made sense. That's what helped me get over being mad and hurt and able to forgive you. I won't lie and tell you I didn't hate you for awhile, because I did, but when I was able to forgive you my life fell back into place," he told her.

Sam was dumbstruck by this. She looked at her life and saw that he was right and suddenly it all made sense to her. She started to cry.

"Oh shit Sam, I didn't mean to make you cry, I just wanted to let you know that the past was over for me and that I need my old friend back," Freddie told her as he came around and gave her a hug.

"Oh it's not that, it's just that I see now why my personal life is so screwed up now. I've been ripping it apart and didn't even see it."

They ate lunch and then walked to the "Groovy Smoothie" for old time sake and kept talking.

"Please tell me if it's none of my business, but tell me about Noel," Sam asked, "off the record."

"Well when I got to France and enrolled in collage, I spoke no French and she spoke English better than some Americans did, so they paired us up and she helped me with translations and such. I was pretty much a mess and she became my friend. I was worried the first few months that the cops would come get me, but I finally figured that I was safe and relaxed some," Freddie told her.

"The cops, why would the cops want you?" Sam quizzed him.

"I figured Gordon would press charges against me, that's part of the reason I just left everything and why I ran to France."

"You beat up Gordon?" Sam looked at him with a mixture of awe and delight.

"I would have killed the bastard for what he did to you if people hadn't have come along."

"You almost did, Oh Freddie I can't believe you did that for me," she said with a tear in her eye.

"Well no one does that to my friend," he said.

Friend, there it was. His friend. Sam's heart sank a little at that. So she was forgiven for the pain, but the love had been replaced with friendship. Well it beat nothing at all she guessed.

"So she was a friend?" Sam asked.

"Yes, she was."

"When did it turn into love?" Sam smiled as she asked this.

"It took me awhile to notice. She said five minutes after she met me she knew she was in trouble. I never thought anyone so hot would give me the time of day," he looked at Sam and kind of smiled and looked down, "so I never noticed. We would go out in big groups so I had no idea she felt that way. I didn't notice that the size of the groups kept getting smaller all the time. Then one day it was just us out for the night and it just felt right. I was afraid of it at first, my track record with love was pretty bad," he looked at her again and looked down sheepishly, "but she asked me to kiss her and when I did, I knew."

"We married two days after we graduated and moved into a very small apartment and started a little business, just hoping to make enough money to live on. Well it took off so fast that we thought it was a joke. Six months after we started we were global and the rest is history. We finally talked about have kids about a year into the marriage, and decided to try," he smiled as he talked.

"So how long after you talked till you conceived?" Sam asked.

"The same night," he smiled, "I guess I've got good swimmers. She was as happy as I had ever seen her. She loved being pregnant. She's the only woman I ever knew that smiled about morning sickness. We named Nathan after her father who had died a year before we met. Everything was perfect. Nathan became our world and we loved it. Sometime after Nate's first birthday, Noel started to get sick. Throwing up and everything, we thought she was pregnant again."

He stopped for a minute and Sam could see the mist forming in his eyes and she knew the pain was still very fresh in his mind.

"Um…," he choked out, "the tumor was the size of a pineapple in her stomach. They said it was so big that they couldn't remove it without killing her," his voice turned to a whisper, "three months later she was gone and I had a one and a half year old to raise and no will to go on. But I knew I couldn't let her down, so I did what I had to do to take care of Nate. She told me that God had given him to us so that she could be around to help me through this through him."

"Oh Freddie I'm so sorry," Sam said wiping tears from her eyes.

"It was what it was," he tried to smile.

"Oh shit," he jumped up from the table, "I've got to pick Nathan up form daycare; I lost all track of time. Please forgive me Sam, would you like to get together for dinner later this week, Nathan took quite a shine to you. See if Carly would come and we can catch up more. I want to hear about the dumbass that would divorce you. Sound good?" he said as he called a cab.

"Sounds good, here's my number,' She handed him a slip of paper, "call me."

"It was really good to talk to you again Sam," he told her as he gave her a hug.

"So, how was your day?" Carly asked Sam as she walked through the door.

"Well I interviewed Freddie for the magazine for my first assignment, can you believe that," Sam smiled.

"You're kidding?" Carly sat up straighter and tapped the couch beside her and motioned for Sam to sit. "So tell me everything."

"It was amazing! It was like old times. He's forgiven me and wants to be friends again. Oh, he wants' us to have dinner with the two of them later this week," Sam smiled, "I gave him my number so he can call and set it up."

"Great Sam, maybe the gang cane get back together again," Carly laughed.

"Maybe so," Sam smiled and got up to go change.

When she was gone, Carly picked up her phone and dialed. After about two rings it was picked up.

"Hi Carrie, thanks for doing that for me. You're a great friend," Carly said

"Anytime girlfriend," Carrie said, "Anything to further love. Did it work?"

"Oh yes, Phase 1 is complete," Carly smiled.

Let me know what you think guys. Big thanks to all who have review and pm'ed me. It means a lot to me so keep it up.


	3. The Puppet Master

The Puppet Master

Carly had always been a meddler. She couldn't resist sticking her nose in other people's business. That's what made her such a great detective. She wouldn't stop till she got the truth. Many husbands had found this little bit of news out first hand.

After Sam and Freddie left for college, Carly had struggled with what to do with her life. Without her friends to give her some grounding, she found herself drifting. Who was Carly without Sam and Freddie? She didn't know. Then Spencer, the other constant in her life, was killed by a drunk driver and Carly went into freefall. She dropped out of college and spent a year just doing jobs to get by and that was it. She had seen an ad on T.V. about a career college for detectives and gave it a call on a lark. She found that being naturally nosey was a plus in the field and did very well. After she graduated, she went to work for a small agency in town and very quickly became a shining star in the firm. After a few years, and a few big clients, she opened her own agency and never looked back. She had the city wired. Everyone from the mayor to the trashman knew her and owed her something. She enjoyed the power that she wheeled in the city. That's why she knew that Freddie and Sam stood no real chance against her plan.

Phase 1 had gone better than she had hoped. They had talked and made up, shared some of Freddie's story and Sam had discovered what was wrong with her relationships and what she did to them. Of course the best part was she had begun to think about old times and feelings were beginning to surface again. Now Carly knew that phase 2 was a little trickier, but she knew she would get it in motion very soon.

Freddie found that he had really enjoyed yesterday. Even drudging up all the pain about Noel had left him in a far better mood. He had his best friend back and that meant a lot. He had talked to Noel about it and told her how good it felt to have someone to talk to that knew him and understood him. He had talked to her about the Carly matchmaker deal and told her that he would try and see what happened. He also promised her that he wasn't going to remove his wedding ring, because he wasn't quite ready for that.

"Good morning dude," he said to Nathan as the little boy padded into the kitchen in his "Spider-Man" pj's.

"Morning dude," the wee one replied, "you look happy this morning."

"I'm happy every morning dude.'

"You wook wike you got cake for bwerkfast," the boys lisped to his dad.

"Nope, but how about we go out for breakfast this morning," Freddie smiled at his son.

"Coow," Nathan jumped up in his father's arms and hugged him tight, where we go?"

"Oh I don't know, how 'bout "Pancake Billy's?"

Nathan squealed with delight and jumped down to go get changed.

Freddie had decided that since he had nothing on the calendar till twelve, that the morning was for Nathan. He loved the time he spent with Nathan because it was pure love. Nathan didn't care how much money he had or what kind of deal needed to be made, he just loved his dad. Freddie was amazed that his son was so smart and charming. Nathan would grow to be a fine man one day, if Freddie didn't screw it up, and make his mother so proud. The little boy had been his only light when noel passed. He had never told anyone, but if Nathan hadn't of been there he was close to killing himself when Noel died.

He had sat in the room with her as she passed and he sat there for an hour after she was gone just holding her. It would have been so easy, so… well Nathan had started crying and Freddie snapped out of it and went to his son. Freddie knew at that moment that Noel had made him cry to remind him of his promise to take care of him. Nathan was simply life itself for Freddie and he knew it. The young boy cast a light that pulled everyone and everything into his orbit. Joy followed Nathan and he could and did charm everyone who crossed his path. Freddie would always say, "He may look like me, but he acts like his mother."

As he waited Freddie fished out the piece of paper and called Sam.

"Hello," came from the other end of the phone.

"Sam, this is Freddie, how's it going this morning?"

"Oh, hi, going good trying not to be late to work. And you?"

"Oh pretty good, taking little man to "Pancake Billy's" before work."

"Oh that sounds like fun, I want your job, getting to go in when you feel like it," Sam laughed.

"Well, listen I won't keep you, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner tonight, I really need to hear the story about your ex?"

"Sure, I'd love to, but the story isn't very kid friendly."

"I thought so," Freddie laughed, "I got a babysitter for the night.'

"Ok, pick me up at Carly's. I'm staying with her till my stuff gets here."

"I'll see you about seven then?"

"Ok Freddie sounds good, oops got to go bye."

Sam pulled up to the parking garage only to see everyone coming out of the building, Carrie leading the way, cussing and fuming.

"Well if this ain't some shit," she hissed, walking up to Sam car.

"What's going on?" Sam asked her.

"Some jackass hit a waterline in the building and now the air is out for the rest of the day. I'm sending everyone home because we can't work in this heat without air. This is going to really put us under the gun for the next issue," Carrie breathed fire with every word, "Go on home and get a tan, do your nails, whatever, and be ready to kick it into high gear tomorrow girl."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Nothing we can do here today, so go get," Carrie said, "Before I change my mind."

Sam turned around and headed back the way she came.

"Well looks like mamma's got a day of leisure coming her way," She said out loud.

After Sam had been gone for about five minutes Carrie turned and shouted, "Fire drill is over, everyone back to work."

She smiled and dialed a number on her cel phone.

Sam walked in the door and Carly looked at her in surprise.

"Don't tell me you got fired your second day there?" Carly asked exasperated.

"No, nothing like that, water leak Carrie sent everyone home for the day," sam told her friend.

"Well then we need to go to the beach," Carly stood up and smiled.

"Ok, I'll change," Sam said as she headed upstairs.

Carly made a phone call and then went to change herself.

Sam came down with a white sundress on that showed her blue bikini underneath. Carly came out with a red bikini and a wrap around sarong on.

"Well we look hot," Sam smiled at Carly.

"We most certainly do," Carly smiled back.

Sam's phone rang, "Hello."

"Hey Sam, sorry but looks like I'll have to cancel of dinner tonight, my babysitter had to cancel on me. Family problems or something like that," Freddie said.

"Oh well, some other night then?" Sam sounded down about the idea.

"What?" Carly asked her.

"Freddie's babysitter dropped out on him, so we'll have to have dinner another night," Sam told her.

"Oh, Oh, I could babysit for him. I'm almost thirty, no boyfriend or children and have raging hormones. I'd love to watch the little guy, please, please, Freddie I know we'll both have a good time," Carly said excitedly.

"Tell her it's a deal," Freddie told Sam.

"He said yes," Sam told Carly.

Carly screamed and began to dance.

"Finally, a good looking man who wants to spend the night with me, I've got to get cookie mix and some DVD's," Carly kept talking as she headed out the door.

"Ok, well I'll see you tonight then," Sam said.

"Seven o' clock, later Puckett."

Sam hung up, secretly glad that they were still going to get to go to dinner. She really wanted his friendship back, need his friendship back. She was pleased that he had called her Puckett. It made her feel like the old days. She whistled as she walked out the door.

"Hey dude," Nathan asked from his car seat in the back, "Can I stay up late with Aunt Carly?"

"I suppose that that is up to her dude," Freddie smiled in the rearview mirror at his son.

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Where are you and the pretty lady going?"

"To eat and to talk about when we were kids, dude."

"Dude?" Nathan asked.

"Yes Nathan."

"She's your friend, right?"

"Yes Nathan."

"And she's a girl, right?"

Freddie smiled, knowing where this was going, but still enjoying the ride, "Yes Nathan."

"So is she your girlfriend?" the little man chuckled and smiled.

"No Nathan, she's just a friend," he laughed.

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"I love you!"

"I love you too Nathan."

"Ok, now you to knock before you come in, cause Nathan and I may be making out when you get home," Carly smiled at the little boy and he blushed and batted his dark brown puppy dog eyes.

Freddie and Sam laughed, "Watch out for little man she may try to marry you tonight," Sam laughed and tickled his belly.

"I'm not getting married till I'm fifty at least," the little boy laughed.

"You be good for Aunt Carly dude," Freddie told him as they left.

"I will, I love you dude," Nathan said as he waved.

"I love you Nathan," Freddie told him and gave him a kiss as they left.

"Later squirt," Sam told him.

Nathan reached out and gave her a hug and Sam felt her heart melt. Like Father, like son, she thought.

"So this is where you picked for dinner," Sam said as they got out at the "Burger Bar" restaurant.

"Where else would one take Samantha Puckett?" Freddie asked, "Besides I wanted an honest to God hamburger and this place fit the bill."

"Lead on McDuff," Sam smiled.

They talked about the day and the water line that had busted and her and Carly's day at the beach. Then he couldn't wait any longer.

"So tell me about your ex, I've waited as long as I could," he said.

"Well were to begin," she smiled, "after you left and after Gordon I spent a few years alone and then I met Brian, he was tall good looking and he listened to me and he was very much the gentleman. We dated for about a year before we ever slept together, and then only the one time. He asked me to marry him and even though I loved him, I wasn't in love with him, but I really thought I could be and wanted to try. The sex was good, when we had it, but it was very infrequent."

"And you never knew or suspected he was gay?" Freddie asked.

"Oh, I guess I thought he was cheating on me, but no, not that he was gay. Not till I left work early one day and walked into the bedroom and there he was sitting on top with no sheet covering them and no doubt as to what was going on. The irony of the whole thing didn't escape me at all," She said as she looked at Freddie.

He was a little red and then he could hold back no longer, he laughed hard.

"Oh shit, Sam I'm so sorry, but it just struck me funny the site of you finding that going on. I know it must have hurt, but I'm seeing the Sam I knew, just beating the shit out of both of them!"

Sam laughed herself, "It's ok Freddie, really, now it is funny to me. I mean what do you say, Honey did you know that you have a dick in your ass, I mean what is the protocol for this?" she laughed even harder at her own joke.

Freddie began to cough, he was laughing so hard, and then fell out of his chair, causing Sam to laugh harder and then to snort. She turned red and that sent Freddie into another spasm of laughter. People began to stare at the two and they found that even funnier and started a new round of laughing.

"Oh my God Freddie, I haven't laughed that hard in years," she smiled at him on the way home.

"The same here, I hurt my ass when I fell out of the chair," he laughed.

Sam laughed at him and then waved her hands in a stopping motion, "Please stop, I'll pee on myself."

They got quiet for a moment and then Sam said, "Thanks Freddie, that's the first time I have ever been able to laugh about that. I've missed having you around to talk to. You could always make me smile, even when I didn't want to."

"I know Sam, I missed being able to talk to you and it's been years since I've laughed that hard. It felt good."

On the way up to Carly's, Sam found herself fighting the urge to kiss him. Not the right place or time Sammy, don't rush it.

Nathan was asleep when they came in. Carly was rubbing his back and watching him sleep.

"Nice job Carly, you need one," Freddie whispered to her as he lifted Nathan into his arms.

"Don't I know it," she sighed.

"You two look like you had a good time catching up," Carly smiled.

"We did," they said at the same time.

"So does that mean I can start putting your name out there and fixing you up with people?" Carly asked slyly.

Sam's smile dropped and she turned to Carly and gave her a look.

"You're not going to let it go are you?" Freddie

"No and you know I'll win," carly smiled at him.

"Ok, you win," he said, "but ground rules, I will not remove my wedding ring, if she doesn't like kids that's a deal breaker, no sex, and these are dates only! Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Carly said.

"Ok, Sam I had a blast. Thank you," Freddie said as he hugged her with one arm.

"I enjoyed it too Freddie, thanks," Sam smiled up at him.

Neither of them saw Nathan raise his head a little and wink at Carly, or her wink back at him.

Freddie left and Carly asked Sam, "So how was it?"

Sam smiled as she threw her heel over her shoulder and said, "It was VERY NICE," and walked up the stairs whistling a tune from college.

Carly smiled to herself and made a check sign, "Phase 2 complete."

Well now we have most of the back stories and some of the plot going.

You may notice that Nathan's lisp has gone away, well I got tired of all the red spell-check lines when I had him talk, so I just phased it out. Just thought you should know.

Let me know how I'm doing, please!


	4. Donna

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 4: Donna

"Dude?" Nathan asked.

"Yes Nathan," Freddie answered.

"Do you miss momma?"

"Yes I do Nathan."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Do you think momma misses us?"

"No Nathan, I think she watches us from heaven."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan?"

"Am I ever going to get a new momma?"

"You mean am I going to marry again?"

"Yes sir, Dude."

"I don't know Nathan."

Sam got to work early the next day and had her interview with Freddie ready and turned in by noon. She was in one of the best moods she had ever been in. She had one of the best nights of her life last night. The weight of the world had fallen off her shoulders and for the first time in years she was hopeful about her life.

The dinner with Freddie had been spectacular. She had laughed at things that had made her cry for years and had felt the old magic again with Freddie. She had so wanted to admit that she was already beginning to fall for him again, but she knew that she was very far away from that even being on his radar. The only downer of the night had been Carly bring up the whole fixing him up with dates things. She very suddenly didn't want that to happen. She also knew if she said anything to Carly, then she would start to meddle with her and Freddie and kill any chance there might be.

After lunch, Carrie called her into her office.

"Girl, that piece on "Sat Tel" and Mr. Benson was some of the best writing I've read in quite sometime."

"Thank you very much, Sam said, "I was a really good interview. He was very open about the company."

"Well the owner was very pleased with it also and wants you to expand it into a six part feature about the launching of a global business and how it's been affected by the current economy. Sound like something you could sink your teeth into?" Carrie asked.

Sam smiled, "I think it sounds great have you checked yet to see if Fre… Mr. Benson is up for it."

"Well since you're an old friend, I thought you could sell him on the idea," Carrie laughed, "I made a lunch appointment with him for you to pitch the idea to him."

Sam smiled from ear to ear and said, "I love to pitch the idea to him."

"Be at the "Sat Tel" building at eleven -thirty to meet him and good luck with it girl," Carrie said as she walked her out of the office, "See Bea at the front desk for the magazines credit card. It's in your name, part of the perks of the job. Get me receipts for everything."

Sam took Freddie to a Chinese place and they talked for an hour and a half about nothing at all. She did pitch the idea to him and he said he liked it and would clear time on his calendar for them to talk and to give her tours of the offices and their plants. It was very laid back and easy. She spent the whole lunch looking at his face and eyes, remembering how soft his lips were and how his stare could turn her to jelly. She found herself fighting the urge to jump him right there in the restaurant. She wondered if she could ever get him back to the place she was now. GOD, she wanted him to take her right here and now! Easy Sam, she told herself, if you are ever going to have a chance at all it's going to take a lot of patience.

Carly was cooking when Sam walked in from work and looked at her friend, "Hi honey I'm home."

"Well we're in a good mood today," Carly smiled at her friend.

"I had a GREAT day! They loved my piece on Freddie and asked me to do a six part feature on his company and we had lunch," Sam said excitedly.

"Well then this is your lucky day,' Carly smiled, "your stuff arrived this morning. I hope you don't mind but I set it up, well most of it and thought we'd work on the rest of it tonight while we watch Nathan."

"Watch Nathan?"

"Sure I just got off the phone with Freddie, I set him up with Donna tonight, Carly raised her eyebrows at Sam and smiled.

"That whore," Sam's mood suddenly went into the pits, "Carly she's been with more guys than jock itch. Do you remember how she used to come on to him when we were dating in high school? She's a total slut. He said "no sex"; she can't even spell it much less do it."

"Easy there killer," Carly laughed, "The girl has changed. She's much calmer now, and very laid back."

"Laid I believe, on her back I believe. But changed I would have to see to believe," Sam spit out.

"Well you'll get your chance; he's picking her up here. I thought it would be easier since we're watching Nathan anyway. Plus she can meet the boy," Carly smiled at her own plan for the evening.

Sam suddenly found herself wanting to wrap a cord around her friend's throat and choking the life out of her. She decided that life in prison wasn't really for her so she should get away from her before sanity left her and she did it.

"I'm going to go over and check out what you've done so far be right back," she stated and walked out.

She missed the sly grin Carly gave as she left. "Well that went better than I'd hoped," Carly said to no one at all, "I seem to have struck a nerve. I remember Sam being much smarter than this," and Carly laughed to herself.

Sam opened the door to her apartment and found that Carly had done quite a bit of work in it. She liked the way the furniture had been laid out and saw no reason to change it at all. She walked into the master bedroom and found her bed set up and ready for sleep. Suddenly she felt very guilty for wanting to kill her best friend. She thought that it would take very little for her room to be set just right. As she walked through the rest of the apartment she saw Freddie's old room and opened the door. She was surprised to find the old bunk bed that had been Spencer's set up in the room and made up. The room also had some of Spencer's more kid friendly toys. She felt a little catch in her throat about Spencer. He'd been like a brother to her and she suddenly was very aware of his absence. In the corner of the room was Freddie's old desk. At the sight of it old memory's came flooding back to her. She had spent quite a few nights making out with him in this room. She had studied with him in this room. She had even made love with him in this room. She wondered if rooms hold the memories' that are made in them. She shook her head and walked back over to Carly's.

"You did a great job, Carl's and thank you for Spencer's things," Sam hugged her friend.

"Your welcome," Carly said with a little catch in her voice, "it's time for a little boy to use them again. I figured since your going to be watching Nathan, you could use it."

Sam tried to lighten the mood some, "So when does "humperella" arrive?"

"Sam!" Carly shot a look at her.

"I call 'em as I see 'em."

"Well keep yourself in check when she gets here, please!

"No promises, Sam smiled.

There was a knock at the door and Carly asked Sam to get it. Sam opened the door and felt the bile in her stomach rise into her throat.

Donna!

Five foot five inch tall, peroxide blonde, orange sprayed on tan, silicone double D tits, gallon of makeup wearing, red dress is plunging to her cochie wearing, DONNA!

"Carly, the stripper you ordered is here, oh, I'm so sorry, hi Donna how's your tricks, I mean things going with you," Sam said with as much venom as she could muster.

Donna stared at Sam for a second and then said, "Oh, hi Sam, out on parole or just bail," she sneered at her and walked in.

"By all means come in, we have some paper spread in the corner for you, you know in case you need to go or something. Please don't claw the tables though, if you can help it," Sam said so sweetly that a bee would die from the sugar in her voice, "So, what's with the floatation devices, you going to the beach later?"

"Oh Sam, did your D batteries die on you this morning or maybe it closed up?" Donna said the acid in her tone was unmistakable.

Sam clenched her fists and said, "It beats having that parking lot you have!"

Carly finally stepped in, "Ok, I can feel the love in the room. Freddie will be here very soon and Donna, I thought maybe since he'll have his THREE YEAR OLD SON with him, maybe you might put your coat on till the little one goes next door with Sam."

"Ok, sure," Donna said confused.

She put her coat on and it did little to hide anything. Sam thought it was like trying to put a bowling ball in a sock: ain't going to fit.

Freddie showed up right at seven and had Nathan in tow. Sam opened the door and Freddie smiled at her and she couldn't say a word. He looked handsome. No, he looked sexy in his dark suit and tie. He smelled so good that she wanted to bury her face in his chest.

"Hi Aunt Sam," Nathan said and jumped up in her arms and gave her a big hug.

"Hi there yourself squirt," she smiled and hugged him back. She smiled at Freddie and remembered what he said about how Nathan was very careful with his hugs; he didn't just give them to anyone.

Donna walked over and stared at Freddie like she was ready to "do it" right there in the floor. Sam noticed Freddie roll his eyes and begin to rub his temple like he had a headache. Nathan stared up at the woman and said very innocently, "Gosh are those all hers?"

Sam and Carly both began to laugh so hard that they turned red. Sam bent down and picked the boy up and buried his face into her as she laughed. 'Score one for the squirt! I love this kid!' Sam thought.

"In two more payments they will be," Sam choked out.

"Nathan, that's not very polite. You need to apologize," Freddie said as he tried to hide the smile on his face.

"I'm sorry mam," Nathan said looking down.

"Don't sweat it kid," Donna grumbled.

"Aunt Sam, Can we play cowboys?" Nathan asked.

"Why I'd love to play cowboys. This here town ain't big enough for the two of us," Sam affected her cowboy Texas twang.

"So stud, you ready to go?" Donna said very suggestively to Freddie

"Yes stud," Sam smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, "you should be going."

"You have my cel number, call me if anything, I mean ANYTHING," he over stated the words and almost pleaded with his eyes at Sam, "Call me, PLEASE!"

"Sorry stud," Sam smiled and nodded at Carly, "It's Shay's show, I got no say."

Freddie gave her a look that told her she would pay for that little jab.

"Well, I guess we better go," Freddie said with all the convection of a man walking to the gallows.

"I love you dude," Nathan reached out from Sam's arms and hugged him.

"I love you too Nathan," Freddie said returning the hug and kissing his son on the top of the head.

"You two have fun," Carly smiled, "And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Freddie turned and fixed a very angry stare at Carly and answered, "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. I just hope I can return this favor, IN SPADES!"

Carly just smiled and shut the door behind them and turned to Sam and Nathan, "Who wants spaghetti tacos?"

Freddie said very little on the way to the restaurant, mainly because Donna never shut up! It turned out that her life after high school was pretty much like her life during high school. She dated quite a bit. Actually dated was not the correct term, slept, bounced, or whored around was a more precise term.

By the time they got to the restaurant, Freddie was already thinking of ways to dispose of Carly's corpse. People turned to look as the wildly mismatched pair were seated. He saw several people that he did business with and cringed. He was to embarrassed to say hello to them.

"What may I get you and the lady to drink sir?" the waiter asked Freddie.

"I'll have the house wine," Freddie said.

"And for the lady?" he asked Donna.

"A Wild turkey shot and beer, sweet cheeks."

"We don't beer here madam."

"Classy joint like this and you don't have beer? Well just bring a wild turkey straight."

"YES, madam," the waiter raised his eyebrows at her and walked off.

The drinks came and the waiter asked if they were ready to order.

"We'll both have the stake and lobSTerrrr," Freddie said as Donna ran her hand up his leg and stroked his crouch.

The waiter stared for a second and then walked away.

"There you are you slut," a male voice yelled from the front of the building as he pushed his way to their table.

"Joey can't you see I'm on a fricking date here," Donna yelled back.

Freddie wanted to just vanish and never come back. This was all kinds of bad. The whole place was now staring at his table and he was now completely beat red.

"Who's this jackoff?" Joey demanded.

"He's my date dishrag," Donna raised her voice.

"You balling her too buddy?" Joey yelled louder at Freddie.

"No, this is a blind date, now would you please leave?" Freddie said, trying to be calm and quite.

"Donna, you two timing whore I found you," another voice yelled out.

"Are you kidding me or what?" Freddie said to the air as he slid back into his chair.

"Tony?" Joey turned and yelled at the man, "You're doing her too, some friend you turned out to be!"

At that he took out running and the two met somewhere in the middle and started fighting. Donna ran into the mix to try to break it up, as yet one more voice shouted above the noise, "You two timing skank, I found your ass!"

As he slid under the table Freddie grabbed the wild turkey and downed the whole glass in one second. About that time the police got there and then things livened up.

Sam and Nathan had been left alone by Carly because she had a client to deal with she said. The two had played games watched T.V. and talked.

"Dude talks to mom every night Aunt Sam," Nathan told her.

"Really?" Sam asked.

"He thinks I'm asleep, but I hear him sometimes," The little boy whispered, "he misses her a lot. He tells her about me and what he's doing, and sometimes he cries. He says he's lonely without her. He even talked about you to her lately. He told her that he loves have you back as a friend and you make him happy. Aunt Sam, you make me happy too. Thank you for helping dude smile again."

He reached out and hugged her hard. She felt the tears forming in her eyes and felt her heart melt for this child. She wanted to hold him forever and take care of him.

"I love you Aunt Sam," he said.

"Oh and I love you to squirt!"

He fell asleep in her lap. She rubbed his back and stroked his hair for several minutes and hummed very softly.

She felt mixed emotions about what she had learned. She was glad to know she was making a positive difference in both their lives, but she still found it sad that after a year and a half that Freddie was still so trapped by his grief.

She picked Nathan up and carefully took him into the spare room and put him in the top bunk, just like he had asked to be placed in. As she stood on the step looking at him, she felt a rush of love wash over her. Just like his father, this little boy now owned her heart. She would die for either one of them gladly.

Three hours later Freddie quietly knocked on Sam's door.

She opened the door and smiled at him and said in her best sexy voice, "Hey stud, your home late."

"How was Nathan, did he give you any problems?" Freddie asked.

"Are you kidding, he's the most amazing kid. I loved every minute of the night," she smiled at him.

Freddie's face relaxed at the news and then he suddenly looked around the apartment and then turned back to Sam with his jaw set firm, "Where is Carly?"

"She had something come up right after you left and had to leave. She's at her place, she got back thirty minutes or so ago, "Sam answered," What's up?"

"Her number," Freddie said in a very menacing tone, "Do me a favor and call her and ask her to come over, but don't tell her I'm here."

"Ok," Sam looked confusedly at him, "do I need something to catch blood?"

"Too soon to tell," Freddie grinned evilly.

She called Carly and asked her to come over. Freddie stood behind the door so that Carly couldn't see him. She knocked quietly and Sam let her in. As she cleared the door, Freddie shut and locked it. The noise caused Carly to turn right into the face of Freddie. She gulped hard and moved back and said, "Hey Freddie how was the date?"

"The DATE, THE DATE, oh no, no, no, it wasn't a date, IT WAS A DISASTER! What in the hell were you thinking, setting me up with that, that, woman? You're lucky Nathan is here or I'd shove you out the window head first."

"Did something go wrong?" Carly asked a tinge of fear in her voice.

Sam took a seat on a barstool and readied herself for what sounded like one hell of a story.

"Well, lets just take them in order shall we," he hissed and forced Carly down on the barstool next to Sam, "She never ever shut up. I know everything she has done since high school, everything. I don't think there is a man in Seattle that hasn't had sex with her. Then she grabs my dick while I'm ordering dinner."

Sam had to stuff her hand in her mouth in order not to laugh out loud. She stood and ran to the couch and grabbed a pillow to hold over her mouth, and rushed back to her stool.

"Then boyfriend number one shows up yelling and mad as hell," Freddie held up one finger, "Then in the middle of that argument, boyfriend number two shows up and he and number two are friends, or were before tonight."

Sam screamed into her pillow laughing so hard. She began to tilt to the sideways, but because she was holding the pillow with both hands, she couldn't grab the counter and fell into the floor.

Freddie now held up two fingers, "So they take off across the restaurant toward each other and begin to fight in the middle of the dinner rush and then Donna joins in," he held up a third finger up, "and of course her breast free themselves during this, and then," Freddie held up a fourth finger, "and then, just to make sure that the night went well, boyfriend number three shows up and joins in, just ahead of the cops, who run us all downtown, where I spent the next two hours trying to convince the police that I was just on a blind date and had no part in the whole mess. So you tell me, HOW WAS THE DATE?"

"Freddie I'm so sorry, I had no idea," Carly tried to hold the laughter back.

"If you ever do that again, I'll kill you, friend or not," Freddie hissed at her, "Whatever screening process your using, you need to improve it," he said.

"I promise, the next one will be better," she assured him, and then began to laugh.

"Well, I better get little man and get home, it's late," Freddie said.

"Oh Freddie it's so late why don't you sleep on my couch tonight and let Nathan sleep at Sam's tonight?" Carly asked.

"I can't not be here when he wakes up, Freddie shook his head.

"Well then, Sam can Freddie sleep in the other bunk in the guestroom tonight?" Carly suggested.

"Sure, that would be fine," Sam smiled.

"Ok then, I'll see you guys in the morning. I'll fix everyone a big breakfast, Carly smiled and left.

What they didn't see Carly do or hear her say, "Phase 3 check," and she made a check mark. "This is almost too easy."

"Sam, I hate to ask, but do you have anything to eat, I never did get dinner," Freddie asked her as she brought out some old sweats she had brought with her.

"I've got leftover spaghetti tacos, if you want them," she grinned at him.

His face lit up, "Oh man that sounds good, let me go change and I'll be right back."

"Ok, sorry they will be a little small, they were Brian's. I don't have any shirts that would fit you, sorry about that," spoke with her back turned to him as she warmed up the food.

She heard him come back in and turned and almost let a moan out. The sweats looked tiny on his six foot three frame, they only went down to his knees, and his hairy chest was uncovered. He was a little thin maybe, but his body was rock hard and she thought she would pass out at the sight of it.

"It's hot, um… I mean the chest… ah, food is hot," she stammered.

"Thanks," he smiled and began to eat.

Later that night, she crept into the door way and looked at the two of them sleeping. She felt complete in this moment. This is all she would or had ever wanted in her life. She smiled and said very quietly, "My men."

I know it's long, but it just pored out of me like this. I hope it's good and you found parts funny. As always let me know! I'm horrible at getting back to people who review, but know the mean a lot to me and I love you all. Thanks.

.


	5. Sara

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 5: Sara

She was lying on the couch Freddie on one side of the bump of her stomach and Nathan on the other side. They both had a hand on her bare midriff and were talking to the life that grew inside.

"Hi brother, I hope you like cowboys and ball. I bought you a glove with my allowance and want to play when you come out," Nathan whispered.

"Dustin, it's daddy, I hope your getting ready to join us soon, you have three people who are very ready to see you," Freddie planted a kiss on her stomach as he talked to his as yet unborn son.

They all felt the baby kick and Nathan's eyes grew big and he giggled. Sam was beyond happy at this moment. This was all she ever needed or wanted, she would soon have three loving men around her and no one or nothing would ever hurt her or take them away from her. Suddenly the world began to shake and a voice from on high began to call to her, "Aunt Sam, Aunt Sam, Aunt Sam!"

She snapped awake to the sound and fury of a three year old whirlwind named Nathan jumping up and down on her bed. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday, and it was, oh my God, seven-twenty in the morning, and she hates early morning, she smiled. 'How can you be upset with this ray of sunshine, he's far too cute and far too much like his father to get mad at,' she thought.

"Good morning squirt," she said as she grabbed him and pulled him down into a hug before tickling his sides and giving him a kiss.

"I got to sleep over with you, this is so cool, this is the first time I've ever slept over anywhere. Why did dude sleep in the bottom bed?" he smiled at her.

"Well, it was late and you were asleep and we hated to wake you up, so the both of you just slept here," Sam answered him.

"Cool," was all he said as he snuggled up to her and smiled.

Her phone rang, so she reached out and picked it up to hear Carly on the other end tell her that she was making breakfast and to come on over.

"Well squirt, Aunt Carly is making breakfast so I guess we better head on over and see if we can help," she told him as she climbed out of bed.

She had slept in the old "Hard To Die" tee-shirt of Freddie's that she had taken from him when they had dated in high school. She had slept in it every night since she had gotten it from him. Even when she was married, she slept with it every night. She considered it one of the few things in her life that she couldn't do without. She had also slept with sweats on just because she thought that a shirt only would be most improper with Nathan around.

"I'll go get dude," he said.

"You go help Aunt Carly, I'll get "dude" up and we'll be right over," she smiled at him and rubbed his hair.

After he left she quietly walked into the spare room and sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the sleeping Freddie below her. The covers were down to his waist and his chest was exposed. She smiled as she looked it up and down. She had spent many hours curled up on that chest. She had always loved those times, his arms around her and her ear over his heart.

She shook those thoughts from her head and decided to have a little fun with him instead.

"Freddie, oh Freddie baby, I need you, you big stud. I need you to take me right now," She whispered in his ear seductively, "I need you to give me all that Freddie love right now, stud."

He moaned in his sleep, "Donna, I'm not really interested in that, thank you, but no.

"Why not, lover, you don't like the Donna love?" Sam laughed.

He sat up quickly and scared Sam off the bed and onto the floor.

"Ow," she cried.

"Oh, Sam I'm sorry, I was having a nightmare, are you ok?" he said as he helped her up.

"I'm ok, that's what I get for trying to play a joke on you. Carly's got breakfast cooking and Nathan's giving her a hand," she looked at him and was one again swept up by his bare chest and the slight stubble of beard on his face. 'Oh Sam, your in so much trouble' she thought.

"Still have that old shirt I see," he said and snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I like the way it fits me," she blushed.

Freddie had to admit to himself that it did fit her very nice. He had always liked the way it hung on her frame.

"Well," she smiled at him, "we better get over and eat some breakfast."

When they walked in Nathan greeted them with an over sized chef's hat and an apron. He was carrying a plate of pancakes to the table. Carly stuck her head out and smiled at the duo, and did a double take at Freddie's undersized sweats and lack of shirt. She had a small impure thought, but thought better of it and wiped it from her mind.

'Well, don't we looked domesticated this morning," she laughed at the two of them as they walked to the table, "So, did everyone sleep well?" and raised her eyebrows at Sam who just shot her an icy look.

Freddie seemed oblivious to the comment and just said, "Carly it looks great and your helper looks like he's very hungry, maybe we should eat."

They sat down and ate, talking and having a great time. Nathan told his "dude" about the great night he had with Aunt Sam and all the things they did. Carly and Sam both noticed the love and special bond between the two. It was obvious that the two had a very special bond that was as beautiful as it was strong. It somehow made Freddie that much more sexy to both women.

"So dude, what do you want to do today," Freddie turned to Nathan and quizzed him.

"Could we all go to the beach?" Nathan asked.

"Well I like that idea, would you ladies join us for a day at the beach?" Freddie looked at the two women.

"Well I think that's a great idea Nathan and I would love to go with you and your dad to the beach," Sam smiled at both men.

"I wish I could guys, but last nights job has some paperwork that's got to be filled out, so I'll have to meet you there if I get done in time," Carly told them.

They finished breakfast and helped clean up. Freddie told Sam that they would pick her up in about an hour and left with Nathan to go get ready.

Sam went back to her place and started to get ready for the day. She decided that she would dress in a nice, but non provocative, bikini. Nothing outrageous, but something that would still show her body off to its best effect, this would be the first time in some while that Freddie would get to see momma's goodies and she intended to look good. She went with a green number that she felt showed her at her best. She then threw on a white sundress over the top of it and packed a beach bag with water and some snacks. 'Well, aren't we just being mom,' was what she found running through her mind. She knew she was making far too much out of this outing, but she just felt that this chance for the three of them to be alone together was a big step towards Freddie maybe becoming more than just a friend.

They picked her up about half an hour later. Nathan had a "Galaxy Wars" swimsuit on and a "Sat Tel" tee-shirt on. Freddie had a red swimsuit on and a larger version of the same tee-shirt as Nathan. She felt like they were a family driving to the beach. Nathan sang in the backseat from his car seat. They all sang songs of all kind and laughed. Sam would look at Freddie as they drove and feel the urge to reach over and hold his hand. She couldn't believe that she was falling so hard for him again. She didn't quite how to deal with it. The whole Carly fixing him up thing was beginning to get to her. She knew that Freddie wasn't in a place where he would fall for anyone at this point, but it still scared her to think that someone else would even be close to him.

The day at the beach turned out to be magical one. They played in the water and Nathan showed that he could swim. They had a splash war that Nathan and Sam won. They ate and built sand castles. The three of them laughed and never noticed that Carly never showed up.

Sam invited them up for supper and they ate homemade lasagna. Nathan packed away two helpings and Freddie did the same. Sam was in heaven, and then the bottom dropped out from under her. They had to go home. Sam felt crushed, but didn't let it show. She got a hug and a kiss from Nathan, and a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Freddie. She dreamed the same couch dream that night.

"Dude?" Nathan asked.

"Yes Nathan," Freddie answered.

"I had a great time today with Aunt Sam and you."

"So did I."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"I really like Aunt Sam."

"I like her a lot myself."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"I think momma would like Aunt Sam"

"I think your right."

The week went by quickly. Sam and Freddie had lunch everyday, and the four of them had dinner three times. Carly brought to Sam's attention that she seemed to be in a great mood. Sam just told her friend that she was glad to have her friends back in her life. By Friday, Sam was having sex dreams about Freddie for the first time in over eight years.

When she got ready to leave for work on Friday morning Carly caught her in the hallway and asked her if she could babysit that evening.

"Sure, who have you set him up with now, a hooker, stripper, porn star, or just a bag lady? Sam laughed at her.

"No, Ms. Smarty pants, I have fixed him up with Sara," Carly sniped back.

"I thought Sara was married to some oil man?" Sam quizzed her friend, as her heart did a nose dive.

"She was, but he had something in common with your ex, and now she's not married and very rich. I helped her in the divorce. Texans pay real good money to keep "Brokeback" secrets, Carly giggled.

"I see," Sam raised her eyebrows and smiled to herself.

She had lunch with Freddie and he pumped her for information about his date for the evening. He was so afraid that it would be a repeat of last Friday's disaster.

Sam was at Carly's when Sara arrived and opened the door for her. Sara was a very heavyset woman, at least two hundred and fifty pounds crammed into a four foot eight inch frame. Sam felt a bit sorry for Sara, as she remembered her from school; she had been petite and very pretty. Marriage, a homosexual husband, and money hadn't been kind to her. She also seemed to be on the verge of a nervous break down. Freddie showed up about seven and Nathan made a beeline for Sam and jumped in her arms with a big hug and kiss. Sam lit up when she saw the little boy. She had already come to think of him as her own and found she missed it when she didn't see him.

Sam had to fight back a laugh at the sight of the small round Sara and the tall thin Freddie made quite the odd couple. Nathan said hello to Sara and hugged and kissed his father goodnight and then he and Sam went to her place and the couple left for their date. Carly watched them all leave and went to the phone and made a call.

Freddie and Sara talked on the way to the restaurant and Freddie learned that Sara had a very huge love of chocolate and hummus. She would sometimes dip the chocolate in the hummus or would even fix chocolate and hummus sandwiches.

They went to the same restaurant that he had gone to last week. The waiter looked at him and whispered, "Please sir, not again."

"I don't think we have to worry about old boyfriends tonight," Freddie assured him.

They sat down and ordered drinks and the steak and lobster plate and then Sara began to talk again.

"I've had a really bad year this year," she started, "First Henry, my no good ex, I found out he was sticking it to the pool boy, the horse trainer, the gardener, the driver, and pretty much any swinging dick in the Fort Worth area. Then my mother and father divorced because mom decided at the age of seventy that she was a lesbian, something that she had known for years, but couldn't hide anymore."

Sam and Nathan played a wii system she had bought and had pizza for dinner. The watched "Booger Bear" and then Nathan climbed up in her lap and layed down. She rubbed his back and hummed to him.

"Aunt Sam?" he asked.

"Yes squirt," Sam answered.

"I liked going to the beach with you last Saturday."

"I liked going with you too," Sam told him.

"I really love you Aunt Sam and so does dude."

Sam's ears perked up at this, "He does?"

"He told mom that he loved spending the day with you Saturday, and that he was feeling strange about you. He said that you were "always on his mind, Nathan said as his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

Sam felt her heart race. She was beginning to think maybe she had some hope after all.

Freddie caught the waiter's attention and had him come to the table, "A wild turkey straight and keep bringing them please, and please have a cab waiting for us when we leave."

Sara didn't stop talking during the whole exchange, so the waiter heard part of the story and just nodded at Freddie and gave him a very sympathetic look, 'Yes sir."

And the tale continued from Sara, "My brother got arrested for doing things to farm animals and I had to bail him out, and now he's on the run from the law with a kidnapped goat. My sister has decided to have a sex change operation, and wants me to pay for it. My uncle was…"

The waiter returned with the wild turkey and before he could turn around Freddie downed it and asked for another. By the end of the night Freddie had downed five of them and was drunk. He found that even that didn't help kill the mind numbing tale of one family's sexual perversity.

They got back to the Bushwell and Freddie almost walked, but mainly stumbled, her to her car and headed inside to Sam's apartment.

Sam opened her door and the smell of whisky slapped her in the face, "Did you eat dinner or drink it, she laughed.

Freddie stumbled in and found the couch when he fell into it, "I have listened to the story of three generations of sexual perversity," he slurred at her.

She chuckled at the statement and sat down beside him waiting for the rest of this interesting tale to unfold.

"We had homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, necrophilia, every fetish you can think and some you can't, and then the story of how chocolate and hummus will put the pounds on you. It was drink or slit my wrist, and since I have Nathan I went the drink route. I hate to ask this again Sam, but my car is at the restaurant and I can't drive anyway, so could Nate and I stay here tonight," he asked.

Sam smiled and said, "Of course you can, wait right here."

She came back with a pair of new sweats and a tee-shirt. She also had a sheet, blanket, and pillow, "I picked you up some sweats and shirts, just in case. You go change and I'll make up the couch. I think you should sleep out here in your conduction."

"Thanks Sam, you're the greatest," he said as he went to change.

She tucked him in and very soon he was out cold. She bent down and kissed his forehead and said, "Goodnight my love."

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Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. You guys rock. Let me know what you think.


	6. Noel, Sam, and Lilly

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 6: Noel, Sam, and Lilly

Freddie picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom. The bedroom door exploded into a million pieces as he kicked it in. He sat Sam down on the bed and hungrily pressed his lips to hers. She let out an animalistic growl as she pulled him closer and fought his tongue with hers. When they broke for air, she grunted at him and tore away his shirt and exposed his chest. He picked her up and they moved till her back was against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and scratched her nails across his chest and moaned out, "Take me, I'm yours! Do anything you want to me, BUT TAKE ME NOW!"

Freddie growled at her and plunged both of them onto the bed. As he did, he ripped her sweats and tee-shirt off of her leaving her flesh exposed and tingling. She ripped his shorts off and his manhood stood exposed and engorged, waiting to explore her. He fell on top of her and began to pound her into the bed with an animal lust that sent shivers through her body. She felt the power of his thrusts and matched them with her own. It was beyond passion now, it was pure animal lust, and it never felt so good. She knew she was close, and she looked into his eyes and they both locked on each other. The look in Freddie's eyes was that of a beast, wild and untamed. She had never seen this look in his eyes before. The stare was almost more than she could take. She knew she was about to cross the line into pleasure. Freddie was now pounding harder and harder, the bed was creaking, he pounded harder and harder. He looked deep into her eyes as she was about to let go of herself and said, "Aunt Sam, Aunt Sam, Aunt Sam!"

Sam sat up with a look of confusion and pure lust on her face. She was panting and still tingling from the dream and shaking. She hoped she at least hadn't said anything out loud.

"Morning squirt," Sam finally was able to say to Nathan.

"This is so cool, do you think we can do this every Friday night," Nathan asked as he stopped jumping and cuddled up next to Sam.

She hugged and kissed the little boy and wanted to tell him that she wanted it to be everyday, but just said, "I don't know squirt, we'll have to see."

"How come dude slept on the couch," Nathan asked her.

"He wasn't feeling good, so he slept there," Sam told him.

"I like staying with you Aunt Sam, you're so cool," he smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"I like you being here squirt, you're cool," she kissed his cheek back and picked him up, "Lets go fix breakfast, what do ya say?"

"I think that's cool, I'm real good at helping Aunt Sam, and I can cook eggs real good," Nathan told her proudly.

"I bet you can, little man," Sam rubbed his head and walked into the living room.

They were greeted to the sound of Freddie snoring lightly on the couch. They left him there and went into the kitchen. As they fixed breakfast they talked and had a most excellent time.

Freddie was deep in a dream that he had almost once a week, every week, since Noel had died. It was about the first time they had kissed.

They were going to meet friends at a club in Paris. They had arrived and after about an hour of dancing together, no one had showed. He had been surprised that it really didn't bother either one of them. They just kept dancing and having a great time. It had been during a slow song that she had lifted her head off his shoulder, looked at him and asked in a matter of fact tone, "Freddie, kiss me."

"Wa… what, kiss you?" Freddie stuttered at her, "What about your boyfriend?"

"Freddie, what boyfriend, when have you ever seen me with a boy other than you, over the past three years?" she looked at him with a mix of dismay and genuine love for how incredibly slow he really was.

Freddie spent several moments racking his brain for the reason he had thought she had a boyfriend. He looked at her and then had the epiphany that she had grown tired of waiting three years for. He replayed the last few years in his head and found that he was indeed the stupidest person on the planet.

She laughed at him and he just blushed and leaned into her and placed his lips on hers. He had only felt the charge that passed between them with Sam before this. He couldn't feel his body, only the lips that were now on Noel's lips.

They left the club and went back to the apartment building that they lived in and went to her first floor apartment. They couldn't wait for the climb to his second floor place. They entered the front door and left a trail of cloths all the way to the bedroom. Freddie had only had sex with Sam in his whole life and this night he had sex with only his second woman. He had always been worried about the fact that he might not be a good lover. The incident with Sam had only made that feeling worse. Noel was very patient with him and they began to make love. He guessed from the response that he got, he must be doing something right. They ended up making love four times that night. They awoke the next morning and made love two more times before Freddie looked at her and asked, "So does this mean we're dating now?"

They laughed so hard they started to cry. As they were laughing Noel began to fade out on him. He went to touch her and his hand just passed through her. She smiled a sad smile at him and this time spoke something different than she had before.

"It's time Freddie, time for me to go, time for you to let me go. I'll always be with you and Nathan but I have to go now my love. Thank you for the best life I could have ever had and for a son that meant the world to me," she spoke to him as she faded away.

"No, Noel, wait, please don't go, we… I need you! Please wait, this can't be all we get, I'm not ready for you to go! PLEASE NOEL, PLEASE, STAY! NO DON'T LEAVE! NOEL!" he screamed and reached for her as she faded away completely on him.

"Freddie," Sam shook him awake, looking scared at him as Nathan began to cry in the kitchen.

Freddie sat up, covered in sweat, heart racing, and wild eyed. He could feel the tears still running down his face. Nathan came running out to him and hugged him with all his might, while burying his head on Freddie's shoulder and crying.

"It's ok dude, daddy just had "that" dream again. I'm so sorry for scaring you. It's ok," he turned to a frightened Sam and pulled her into the hug and whispered into her ear, "I so sorry Sam, I didn't mean to scare you either, please forgive me."

"Oh Freddie, its ok, you really must have had a really bad one about her," Sam said to him as she found that the hug and whisper in her ear had set off her feelings of lust for him again.

"I have one about once a week, but not this bad," he told her and they noticed that smoke was coming out of the kitchen, "There's smoke in the kitchen!"

"Breakfast," Sam yelled and ran into the kitchen to find the eggs burnt beyond any hope.

"Sam, I'm so sorry. Let me call a cab and go get my car and I'll pick us up something to eat and come back."

"You don't need a cab I'll drive the three of us to eat and then we'll pick up your car," Sam smiled at him.

"But you don't have a car seat for little man," he reminded her.

"Oh yes I do, I got to thinking since I'm keeping him so much, that we might want to go somewhere, so I picked one up," she looked at him and beamed.

He just smiled and her and shook his head in amazement.

They went to breakfast and then to get Freddie's car. Nathan asked Sam to join them for the day. Freddie told him that Sam might not want to or might have something else to do. Sam assured them she didn't and they spent the day together again. They played putt-putt golf, went to the movies, and ate food that wasn't very good for them. Everywhere they went people remarked about want a sweet boy Nathan was and what a cute family they made. After a few times of correcting people, they stopped and just went with it. Sam found that she like people think this was her family. Nathan walking between them holding both their hands, she felt the maternal instinct firing hormones all through her body.

They ended the day at Carly's where they all grilled out and then watched a movie.

Nathan crawled into Sam's and Freddie's lap and laid down, legs in Freddie's lap and his head in Sam's. She rubbed his back and hummed as they sat there. She could feel the heat from Freddie's body as they sat there. She knew after the day they spent together that she would never be able to keep her feelings hidden for long, and it scared her. She knew after the nightmare he had, that he wasn't anywhere near ready to try a new relationship yet.

When Freddie got ready to leave, he took Nathan's sleeping little body and held him to his shoulder, telling Carly goodnight and offered to walk Sam to her door. When they got there they said goodnight and he thanked her for all she had done for the both of them. They locked eyes and to her surprise, he leaned in to kiss her. Her heart stopped and she closed her eyes and got ready for… nothing! He had stopped and looked at her and said he was sorry and left.

She blew out a big gust of air from the breath she had been holding and slumped against the door frame.

Carly took her eye from the peephole and walked over to her couch. Things were moving along much better and quicker than she had hoped.

The week was just like the last one. They had lunch did work on the article, and pretended that the almost kiss never happened. Sam was now dreaming the sex dream about Freddie and having the one where she was pregnant on a rotating basis every night. The fact that she got laid in her dreams more than she had in real life really caused her to laugh. Carly was of no help. She had again set him up with a date for Friday night.

Lilly had been a good friend to both women. Lilly had even taken part in the first time Sam and Freddie had gone out, months before Sam had let Freddie know that she loved him. The prospect of Freddie going out with Lilly really scared her. She knew Lilly was nice and sweet. She knew that Lilly could stand a chance of getting a second date just because she wasn't a psycho whore.

Sam wanted to ask Carly why she seemed intent on destroying her life by getting Freddie a girl, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I think I've finally hit on the right woman for Freddie," Carly said to Sam, looking for signs that the blondes resolve had begun to crack, "Lilly is still missing her husband and the two of them should have lots to talk about."

"Wonderful, I hope they go some place that's safe for two people who might slit their wrist from dinner talk, Sam said to Carly.

"Sam, that's a terrible thing to say, now you watch your mouth when she gets here or I'll have to ban you from my place on spaghetti taco night, do you understand," she admonished her friend.

"I'll be nice," Sam told her.

Lilly arrived and Carly let her in. Lilly was about Sam's height and had red hair and beautiful green eyes. She wore a very nice green dress and looked very beautiful. She hugged Carly and Sam and Asked Sam for an update about her life. They talked and despite the fact that Sam thought the world of her, Sam wanted to claw Lilly's eyes out. The fact that she couldn't find any flaw in her like the other women just made it all the worse. Where was the unibrow over the eyes, the silicone implants, the list of eighty boyfriends, or the three ton body that would make her yet another horrible date for Freddie and end with him on her couch and another Saturday with the two men she had come to love with all her heart?

Freddie arrived at seven and things went like always. Nathan ran to Sam and hugged and kissed her and Freddie said hello to Lilly. Then things changed. Freddie hugged her and she bent down to talk to Nathan and produced a toy car for him and they began to talk. 'That bitch,' Sam thought, 'how dare you be all nice and pleasant to my men and be so damn nice to me that I can't even enjoy hating you like I want to!'

Freddie and Lilly said goodnight to everyone and Freddie kissed Nathan goodnight and they left. 'Well maybe she's a raging alcoholic or something,' Sam thought as she and Nathan went to her place. Carly just smiled, knowing that everything was going according to plan.

Freddie and Lilly went to a different restaurant than he had the two times before and talked after they ordered. Lilly had lost her husband of five years almost two years ago. He had been killed in a car wreck. They talked about the pain of losing someone you love so young and the feelings of loneliness that came with it. Lilly also still wore her wedding ring, and had just begun to date again. She also confided in Freddie that she still felt like she was cheating on her husband when she did. They talked till the restaurant closed and then took a drive and walked in the park for awhile as the talked. Lilly and her husband had not been able to have children and had just started to look into adopting. She asked about Noel and about Nathan. Before they knew it was three o'clock in the morning and they headed back to the Bushwell so she could get her car. To his surprise Freddie found that he had a wonderful time with Lilly and asked if she would like to do something on Saturday with the two of them. She said yes and then they hugged and said goodnight.

He knocked softly on Sam's door and after a few minutes she came to the door looking like she had just woken up.

"Your late," Sam said far more hateful than she meant to.

"I'm so sorry Sam, we just lost track of the time," Freddie apologized to her.

"It's ok, so how did it go?" she quizzed him.

"It was good, we talked all night, and we have a lot in common. Oh and listen two things, can I stay again tonight? And you can finally have a Saturday to yourself, I asked Lilly if she wanted to do something with Nathan and I tomorrow and she said yes," Freddie smiled at her.

Sam felt her heart crumble into pieces at the very thought of Lilly with her men. She spent the rest of the night in her room crying. She would have to talk to Carly tomorrow about this and admit to her that she loved Freddie. Why couldn't Lilly be a bitch?

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I hope you like. I got a few pm's from some people I won't name that told me that this story is lame and no good. I know it's not the best story or best writing on here, but I do try. Let me know what you think.


	7. Lilly and Troy

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 7: Lilly and Troy

Sam was on the couch, laying down, her massive belly uncovered and both her men talking to it and rubbing it. She smiled at them and started to say something when they both got up and began to walk away. She wanted to speak but could not. They walked up to Lilly and both took her hand and were gone.

She sat bolt upright in bed and looked around for a few seconds before she fell back down on the bed and looked at her clock, four-thirty in the morning. She had only been asleep for less than an hour and she now knew that she wouldn't sleep at all.

She got up and walked by the guest room and watched the two men sleeping for a few minutes. She decided that if she couldn't sleep, then Carly sure as hell wasn't.

She walked out very quietly and crossed the hall. She began to beat Carly's door as hard as she could with both hands. After several minutes Carly's opened the door with a bat in hand.

"What in the hell are you doing, is something on fire or did you just feel like scaring the shit out of me," Carly asked, wide eyed at her.

"Your ruining my life Shay and I'll be damned it your ass gets to sleep if I can't," Sam growled at her and walked in to the apartment and plopped down on the couch.

"So exactly how am I ruining your life?"

"How could you fix him up with Lilly?"

"How could I what?" Carly tried to follow the thread of what Sam was trying to say.

"I mean you fix him up with sluts and psycho's and then you pull little Miss perfect out of your hat and ruin the damn thing, that's what I'm talking about," Sam ranted.

"Hold it, hold it, I what? Sam, are you sure you're awake, because this isn't making much sense. What has Lilly got to do with you and your life and how have I ruined anything?" Carly asked puzzled about the whole conversion.

"He's taking her out for the day, just the three of them," Sam said almost in tears, "Saturday is my day with them. I live for Saturdays with them. Last week people remarked everywhere we went what a fine son I had and what a cute family we were. I enjoyed it so much that I keep my Saturday s free just so we can do stuff and go and shoot the boat out from under me. Now he's going to end up with her and all married and happy have my Saturday s and I'm going to die alone and sexless," Sam rambled on.

"Sam what difference does it make if he ends up with Lilly?" Carly asked, "You said yourself that he wasn't interested in you and that you had no problem with me fixing him up. So once again, why should it matter if he likes Lilly?" Carly began to smile at her friend. After weeks of pushing she finally had Sam on the brink and wasn't going to give up till she pushed her over the rim.

"Because," Sam stammered.

"Because why?" Carly probed at Sam looking for the words she needed to hear her say.

"Because," Sam tried to think of a way to say something, anything but what she had in her head, "they both still wear the wedding rings from their first marriage. They aren't ready to date or think about any thing serious."

"So, once again how does it ruin your life?" Carly lovingly prodded her friend down the conversions path.

"Well, he's a, I mean, He could get, they might, you know, what if they, well, I just think maybe," Sam found her self unable to complete any sentence or thought.

"If you can say it to me," Carly began, "then I can't help you with anything, spit it out honey. You know what it is, just say it, Sam you need to say and I need to hear it before I can do anything to help, so once again, why is Freddie and Lilly going out a problem for you?"

"Screw you Carly, Sam spit out at her, "Because I love the damn dork, ok. I'm in love with Freddie and with Nathan. I want Freddie so bad that for weeks I've had sex dreams about. I love him so bad that I can't stand not seeing him everyday. I want make love to him so bad that I'd do it in the street if he asked me to. I love spending time with the two of them and I love that Nathan loves me and likes spending time with me. I feel like the squirt is my child and Freddie is mine and nice or not, friend or not, I want that bitch Lilly away from what belongs to me, now is that what you needed to hear?" Sam felt a weight lift off of her as she spoke.

Carly wiped tears from her eyes and hugged the emotionally spent Sam and said, "This is why I started with you, I knew you'd be the harder sell. I knew breaking you would have to be done first before I could begin on Freddie."

Sam wiped tears away and looked at Carly in stunned disbelief, "Break me? Work on Freddie? Are you telling me that this whole thing, from the beginning has been some kid of master plan of yours to play matchmaker between Freddie and Me! The bad dates, Donna and her three boyfriends, you set that up?"

"Well I might have told the boyfriends where she was, and given them all rides to the place, but I did not tell them to start fighting or for Donna to join in and flash everybody. I may have told her Freddie was looking for someone to "polish his knob" and that he liked his women "slutty", but she did the rest all on her own. Sara, well Sara was just being Sara; I knew she would screw it up without any help from me, and Lilly isn't in love with Freddie, she's in love with Gibby, but she's like Freddie, stuck in the past, and that's where she comes in. See they both share the same heart ache and understand each others problems. They will push each other to let go of the past and then they will be able to see the love standing there staring them in the face. We still have a way to go before we get there, but at least we got to the halfway point," Carly smiled as she laid the plan out before Sam and she loved the look of udder amazement on Sam's face as she began to see how the plan had come together.

"Carly Shay," Sam smiled at her friend with a new respect and awe, "You are a devious bitch, and I love you!"

"Good now for step two: phase one, you have a date tonight with Troy Keller. You do remember him from high school I hope?" Carly looked at Sam.

"Cute, but an I.Q. the size of his penis? Always looked like he was picturing you naked? Yeah, I remember him," Sam said looking unsure.

"Well he's gong to pick you up here at seven and you two are going to go to "The Dinning Car" for dinner. Freddie and Lilly will also just happen to be their and well Freddie needs something to think about now, don't you think?" Carly asked.

"I think I'll just leave it to you," Sam smiled, "I better go get a little sleep before squirt get's up," Sam said as she headed for the door, stopping to hug Carly, "I love you kid and thanks."

Sam settled in and fell back to sleep and had the baby dream once again. At seven-thirty Nathan came in and started jumping on the bed. Sam pretended to be asleep and after a few jumps, caught him in midair and began to tickle him. They both laughed and were both surprised when something heavy sprang onto the bed and suddenly Sam felt hands tickling her sides and broke into uncontrollable laughter. As she twisted in laughter she saw that Freddie had joined the two of them and now Nathan was on Freddie's back trying to tickle him. Sam was unable to escape Freddie grasp, and not sure she wanted to. Nathan hopped off of Freddie's back and ran into the bathroom, leaving the two alone and still engaged in the tickling match. Sam finally got an opening and rolled out an on top of Freddie and they were face to face. Their eyes locked and Suddenly Sam felt her heart begin to race. Freddie stared at her and began to lean up into her… and pulled away and slipped out from underneath her, looking for all the world like a married man caught in the act of cheating on his wife.

Nathan came out and Freddie quickly said they would fix breakfast and bring it into the bedroom for Sam to eat. After they left the room, Sam placed a pillow over her face and screamed.

As they set on the bed eating, Nathan asked what the three of them were going to do for the day.

"Well Nathan the nice lady from last night, you remember her, well she's going to spend the day with us and let Aunt Sam have time to do some things that she wants to do. I'm afraid we've been hogging all her time lately. She may have things she wants to do by herself," Freddie explained to the boy.

"But Saturday is OUR day dude," Nathan whined, "We always do something together. I don't want to do things with that lady; I want to do things with Aunt Sam. Aunt Sam is fun and we all have a good time. We laugh and you both smile at each other and we make each other happy!"

"Nathan, stop whining, Lilly is a nice lady and we'll have a nice time with her and that's that," Freddie said.

"Nathan I'll miss you guy's today, but I have to get ready for a date tonight, so I won't be able to go with you today, ok honey," Sam tried to soothe the boy.

"A date… why are you… I mean your going on a date? Why, why… who… I mean, that's great, who… who… is the lucky guy?" Freddie asked stumbling over the words.

"Carly fixed me up with Troy Keller from school," Sam grinned at how flustered Freddie had become.

"Oh Carly, Carly fixed you up, hum, so when did she do that?" he quizzed her.

"Oh I don't know awhile back, is something wrong? Sam grinned at him.

"What, no, not in the least, I just remember him as being a bit of a player, that's all," he told her.

"I can handle him; remember I'm pretty tough when I want to be."

The day with Lilly turned into a total disaster. Nathan became a whining spoiled brat. At every turn he pushed and pushed both adults to the brink. He even threw fits and tantrums in public places and found himself grounded for all of Sunday in his room. Still Lilly asked Freddie to dinner at the "The Dinning Car", and he said yes. She said she would meet him at Carly's at seven and he agreed. He called Carly and asked her to watch Nathan for the night and she said she would.

Sam dressed in one of her better slinky dresses and made sure she looked her best. For once Freddie was early, and he was more uptight than ever. Nathan had gone through his routine with Sam and went to stand by Carly. Freddie stared at Sam and seemed a little less than thrilled about how good she looked. Troy arrived first and looked almost like he did in high school, except for the hairline that had receded back to the middle of his skull. He smiled at Sam and gave her a hug, feeling her ass in the process. He spent the next few minutes looking from Carly's Tits to Sam's and Freddie found himself fighting the urge to pound him into the ground.

Lilly arrived next and Sam and Troy left. After telling Nathan to be good and giving him a kiss, Freddie and Lilly left. When the door closed Nathan tyrned to Carly and smiled, "I did just like you said. I got grounded all day tomorrow for it though."

"Well it will be worth it when they get together, little man, I promise," Carly told him.

"Do you think Aunt Sam will let me call her mom?" he asked.

"Honey, I think she'd be thrilled if you would!"

Sam and Troy got to the restaurant and were seated and ordered drinks and an appetizer and began to talk. Sam found that his constant looking at her like she were nude quite unnerving and hoped that Carly knew what she was doing.

Freddie and Lilly arrived next and were seated two tables away. They also ordered drinks and appetizers and began to talk. Sam and Freddie spent a great deal of time trying not be caught looking at each other.

Sam was just biting into a boneless buffalo wing when Troy placed his hand on her thigh and moved it up to her underwear. She spit the meat out and slapped him so hard that he fell backwards. Freddie stood and looked at Sam and asked, "What the hell happened?"

"Perv. Over there ran his hand up my leg and touched my underwear. And momma don't play that," she said.

"You psycho bitch, what's your freaking problem," Troy asked as he picked himself off the ground.

"Bitch, you called her a bitch," Freddie turned toward Troy with fire in his eyes, "No one calls Sam a bitch you pervert!"

Freddie connected his right fist with Troy's chin and then his left one with his eye. Troy went sailing through the air and into the wall. Freddie stepped forward and was ready to swing again when Troy threw a plate and hit Freddie in the head and brought him to his knees. Troy then got to his knees and grabbed a chair and stood up and then brought it down on Freddie's head. Freddie fell back and blood pored from his head.

"You son of a bitch, AHHHHHHH," Sam screamed and Troy felt the weight of the world descend upon him.

Sam and Lilly brought Freddie out of the emergency and placed him in the back seat of his car. He had ten stitches and some pain medicine in him and fell asleep before the left the parking lot.

"So, how long have you been in love with him," Lilly nodded back at Freddie.

"It shows," Sam asked.

Lilly chuckled, "Just a little bit."

"I don't think I've ever been out of love with him," Sam told her.

"Well just give him time darling," Lilly assured her, "He loves you too, but he's still very stuck in feelings for his wife. He feels like he should be faithful to her and that's why he pulls away when you get close. Trust me baby, he's coming 'round to you just expect a bumps before he gets there."

"And to think I wanted to claw your eyes out," Sam laughed.

Freddie slept on the couch in Sam's place that night and Nathan slept with Sam.

"Aunt Sam?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Do you think we can do more things together?"

"I hope so."

"Aunt Sam?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes Nathan very much."

"Aunt Sam?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Do you love dude?"

"Yes Nathan with all my heart, I do."

"Aunt Sam?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Can I call you mom when you two marry?"

"I'd love for you to call me mom squirt."

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Thanks for the kind words. I hope you enjoy this chapter and like the direction things are headed in. Thanks to you all!


	8. Holding On To Ghosts

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter8: Holding On To Ghost's

Sam awoke to the gentle sounds of Nathan's breathing. She looked at him and thought about how much he resembled his father. She would sometimes wake up when the two of them were dating and just watch Freddie sleep. She had found a peace in his breathing that put her life in prospective and made her smile. As far as she knew Freddie never knew about it.

As Nathan slept she smiled at the sound and rhythm of his breathing. She guessed that if you played the two back together you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. She looked at the boy and began to think of Freddie out on the couch and where things were headed with them. She knew from the fight at the restaurant that Freddie still cared for her, but she still had the looming presence of Noel to deal with. She could and would fight it out with any woman who wanted to take Freddie away from her, but she wasn't sure how you fight a ghost. Noel held the advantage; she had three years and a son over Sam's years with him. The only hurt she had ever caused him was dying as opposed to cheating on him and being caught in the act. She left loving sweet memories of a love taken far too soon, Sam left the bitter trail of heartache at had driven him to Noel.

Still, things had been so great the past few weeks. They had fallen into the steady rhythm that they used to have. The time they spent alone or with Nathan was easy and lifted her soul up and made her glad to be alive. The pain and heartache of Gordon left her and she felt free of it for the first time in her life. It had surprised her when she found out Freddie had beat Gordon almost to a pulp. She knew he was capable of it, she just didn't know that no matter what he would have her back. She walked into the living room and sat in a chair across from the couch and watched Freddie sleep.

Nathan woke up at Seven-thirty and helped Sam fix breakfast. They just let Freddie sleep. They watched T.V. (The Three Stooges, favorites of both of them) and played on the wii. Freddie, maybe because of the pain pills, didn't wake up till ten-thirty. He looked sheepishly at Sam, "Thanks for taking care of me and bring me home," Freddie said.

Sam felt a slight rush of her heart the way he called her apartment home, even if it was just a slip, it was a good slip.

"So after the chair what happened?" he tried to sound nonchalant about the whole thing, and he failed miserably at it.

"Well let's see, hey squirt you want to ask Aunt Carly about spaghetti taco's for lunch," Sam smiled at him.

"Yes mam ," he smiled back, "You must have done something bad dude, if I have to leave the room for Aunt Sam to tell you about it. Are you going to ground dude for the day like I got grounded?"

"Hum, I just might have to do that and send him to bed without supper. Of course if he were to give you another chance today, I might just give him a break," Sam laughed, "Let me see what I can do and get back to you, ok?"

"Ooo… good luck dude, I think you're going to need it," Nathan said as he left to go to Carly's.

"This can't be good," Freddie let out a nervous laugh, "what did I do?"

"Well you broke his jaw blacked his eye," Sam began and decided to have a little fun with him, "After the chair you got mad and grabbed his no-no's and pulled them so hard that one distended and had to be placed in some kind of special wrap for the next two weeks and then you stuffed the salt and pepper shakers up his…"

"Oh my God, the press will have a field day with this, and I guess Lilly is pretty much out of the mood to talk to me," Freddie buried his face in his hands, "I'm sorry about all this, I just, no one talks about you or touches you that way EVER! I just saw red, the sad thing is, that if he did it again, I'd do the same exact thing."

Sam now felt guilty and had to let him off the hook, "Listen Freddie, about the stuff after you got hit with the chair, well I did all of that, I lied about you doing it."

"You lied, you mean to tell me you let me sit here and think I had turned into some kind of madman as a joke?" Freddie looked at her and gritted his teeth.

"Yep, sorry," she smiled at him and laughed a little.

"Oh it's so on you little witch, you must pay," Freddie leaped up and reached for her.

Sam laughed and ran, Freddie close behind. They reached her bedroom door and Freddie grabbed her by the waist and pushed her to the bed. He pinned her arms back with one hand and began to tickle her with the other hand. Sam began to laugh and scream, unable to stop anything she gave in and just let him get comfortable. She laughed hard and then felt him relax just a bit and twisted sideways and rolled on top of him. She now worked her hands free and began to tickle him back. The fought that way, both laughing till they ended up looking in each others eyes, and the laughter stopped. They looked at each other, breathing deeply and began to lean into each other. Sam closed her eyes, knowing that it was hopeless, but couldn't help herself.

Suddenly the darkness exploded in a whirl of colors and a charge of lighting roared through her body. She felt Freddie's tongue on her lips and she let it in. Their tongues began to dance around each others mouth. Sam felt Freddie's hands move up her back and she ran her hands through his hair.

Freddie suddenly pulled away and rolled onto the floor. He was breathing heavy and red faced. He shook his head and stammered out, "Sam I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I can't… I mean… I'm… I just can't, I'm sorry."

"AHHH," Sam groaned, "Jesus Freddie, what the hell? One minute you're all over me and the next you act like your mom walked in on us making out and we're sixteen."

"I'm sorry Sam, I can't do it, I mean, Noel I couldn't do it to her," he said.

"Noel, Jesus Freddie, you're worried about cheating on a dead woman," Sam snapped at him, "Freddie, being trustworthy and faithful has a limit. I know you loved her and she loved you, but for the love of God do you think she expected you and Nathan to remain alone and wrapped in this grief shroud that you've put around the two of you. Freddie that boy loves you and worships the ground you walk on. He wants to see you happy and smiling again, I don't think he wants you to be alone, and I know if she loved you, Noel would be appalled at the way you wave her and Nathan around like some kind sword and shield to keep anything from touching or hurting you. I know it had to hurt losing her and believe me I know that it's tough to get back into the game after something like that, but get your head out of your ass and start living again."

"How dare you talk to me like that, I can't just be like you and sleep with someone and forget the pain. You couldn't understand what being faithful meant, you proved that. I have a lot of things to think of when I do anything. I always have to think of what's best for Nathan and sometimes what I want has to suffer!"

"Oh, oh, hell yes, St. Freddie, the patron saint of pain and suffering, all hail the saint. God Freddie you wear your pain like some kind of badge, look at me life screwed me over, but I'm handling it so bravely. I'm sorry I can't buy into the act like everyone else, but I hurt too. I'm willing to fight for you, but I can't fight a ghost Freddie. You go kiss a tombstone, when you want something warm, maybe I'll be here, now get the hell out of my place!" Sam screamed at Freddie.

"With pleasure, sorry to have bothered you," Freddie hissed and turned to leave.

Sam slammed the door behind and ran to the bedroom and sobbed.

Carly came over after the two men left and sat on Sam's bed. She said nothing and just stroked her hair.

"Oh Carly, what did I do?" Sam cried, "I just laid into him, I snapped and said the most awful things to him. You and Lilly both told me that it would take more time, but he kissed me and I just wanted us to be together now and I chewed him out. I lost him Carly, he won't ever talk to me or see me again."

"Funny," Carly soothed her, "he said the same thing. You didn't lose him honey; you just pushed him a little harder than you should have. He balled about it. I had to send him to the old studio so Nathan wouldn't see or hear anything. God Sam you should have seen him. I don't think he had ever really let himself cry over Noel before. Did you know he held her in his arms as she died? He spent the final three months of her life by her side. I did a background check on him, Freddie's had two relationships in his whole life, and you know how good I can find out things, two, you and Noel. I can't find anything about any other girls, so I'd say he's slept with two women, and lost them both at some point. He loves you, but he thinks if he gets close, he'll lose you again."

"So what do I do now?" Sam asked, wiping away tears.

"Nothing right now," Carly smiled, "he'll call you soon and apologize, and then you two start the dance again. Just hold on sweaty, your very close to the finish line, you just have to take your time. When he left, he was deep in thought. I think he's starting to come out of his shell. Nathan is working on him also. He's been working on his father longer than I have. Would you like to guess who wanted to come here to live in hopes of getting Freddie to move on? Nathan is far more intelligent than anyone knows."

Sam smiled and looked at Carly, "Nathan brought them here? Oh my God, he's been trying to get Freddie married. Is that why he asked about calling me mom?

Carly laughed, "He said after the first dinner we all had that he had decided that you were going to marry "dude" and be his new mommy."

"Really?" was all Sam could think to say.

"I told you he's very smart, and very determined about things," Carly giggled, "So, do you feel better now?"

"Some, I guess," Sam stated.

"Well, good because tomorrow night we are all eating at my place," Carly smiled.

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Did you and Aunt Sam have a fight?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"What did you fight about?"

"That's between me and her."

"Dude?"

"Yes Nathan."

"Do you love Aunt Sam?"

"Yes."

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Don't hate me for this chapter; it had to happen sometime for the good of all. I hope you liked it. I felt that Sam and Freddie needed this to finally get out in the open so they could talk about it.

Let me know what you think!

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Thanks to everyone whose reviewed and followed me! You guys are great!


	9. Occupying Your Space, Not Taking Your Pl

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 9:

Occupying Your Space,

Not Taking Your Place

Sam helped Carly get ready for the Sunday night dinner. Sam felt better about the blow up after the talk with Carly, but she still knew that she and Freddie had a lot of talking to do.

Sam had decided that she would give Freddie the space to deal with his emotions. She knew the wait was worth the risk. She wanted the whole Freddie not just half, and if that took more time then she would wait.

Freddie and Nathan arrived at six-thirty and Nathan made a beeline toward Sam. He leaped in her arms and gave her a big kiss and hug, which she returned to him. He held the hug much tighter and longer than he normally did, and when he pulled away he had a huge smile on his face and he just looked at her and got down and went to Carly and did the same to her.

"Is everything alright," Sam asked all worried.

"Things are fine, he's just happy that we're not mad at each other anymore, Sam I'm sorry about everything," Freddie started to say, as he led her into the downstairs bedroom, "I know it's a lot to ask, but I want something more than this, what we have now, but I need time. I never had time to deal with Noel's death, Nathan needed me right then and I just put all that on the back burner, and left it. I know its crazy sounding, but I feel like moving forward is like saying she meant nothing to me, and that's not true. No matter who or if I end up with someone, Noel will always have a piece of my heart. I can't look at Nathan and not see her, I still talk to her, and I still feel her with me. Sam, I've loved two women in my life. I lost one because of cancer; I don't have the right to ask you to give me the time to pull what's left of me emotionally together, but I'm asking anyway. I can't lose the other woman in my life."

Sam looked at Freddie and felt herself breath out and in before she spoke, "Fredward Benson, I've waited over ten years for you already, I suppose I can wait a little bit longer. But I do have ground rules. I demand a proper date, that should include, but isn't limited to the following: Flowers, a great place to eat, some dancing, hand holding, and at least two leering stares at my ass and my boobs. These terms are not negotiable and must be followed TO THE LETTER! I will also require Saturdays that I get to have a threesome with the two most important men in my life. If you can't live with these demands, we have no reason to see each other anymore. Oh, one more thing, until you can remove your ring, please don't kiss me anymore. I can't take a repeat of the last few times. When you kiss me again, you need to be ready to back it up, or I will have to stop seeing you."

"I can live with that proposal, but would like to add a clause about Sundays. I think we need Sundays as a day to relax, and perhaps spending them together would help in that department," Freddie smiled at Sam.

"Sir, I believe we have a deal," Sam extended her hand and Freddie took it and they shook on it.

The rest of the evening was very comfortable. They ate; they watched T.V., Nathan in Sam's lap and Freddie's arm on the back of the couch behind Sam. Sam rubbed Nathan's back and he smiled at her and began to fall asleep.

Freddie got up to go and told Carly goodnight, and walked with Nathan in his arms toward the door and Sam followed. After the door shut, Freddie turned to Sam, "Look we have an early meeting tomorrow for your story, why don't you come and sleep over with Nathan and I tonight? I've got lots of room and it would be no trouble."

Sam thought for a second and then said, "Ok."

She got a few things and they left. The drive was quiet except for the breathing of the sleeping Nathan in his car seat.

Freddie's house was large, but not near as big as what she expected from a man who was close to being a billionaire. They pulled up and Freddie got Nathan out and the trio walked up to the door.

"Door voice command Benson open," he whispered, and the door unlocked and opened itself.

"Very impressive," Sam said looking at Freddie in awe.

"Just a program I'm playing with," he grinned

Sam followed him up to the second floor and helped him put Nathan to bed. He then walked her down the hall to a very nice guest room.

"This is yours; it has its own bathroom with shower. Towels and wash rags are under the sink, extra blankets are in the closet over here and if you need anything, I'm one room over," he said and smiled at her.

Sam looked at him and felt the longing begin to stir in her again. They both stared into each other's eyes and Freddie walked up close, and hugged her good night. Damn no kiss rule she thought, what dumbass came up with that one? She sighed and fell back on the bed. She then got up and got dressed for bed. She found she forgot her toothbrush and went to Freddie's door to ask if he had an extra. When she got to the door it was cracked open and she could see Freddie sitting on his bed talking to someone. She knew she shouldn't, but she stepped back just a bit and listened to him talk.

"Baby, I miss you and I've always tried to do what I thought you would want me to do for Nathan. I hope your happy with the way I'm raising him, you would be so proud of him. I've tried to let him know how much you loved him and I think he knows it, but he doesn't really remember you and I feel like I've let you down," Freddie hung his head.

Sam felt tears form in her own eyes as she listened.

"Noel, I promise I'll never let you vanish from our lives, but I need to talk to you about something though, I hope you can understand honey, but like I told you Sam has come back into my life and I don't know what to do. For the first time since you left baby, I haven't felt lonely. I know I shouldn't be, but Noel, I'm in love. Sam's great with Nathan and he loves her too. I thought when you died that that part of my life was over. Please understand Noel, she wouldn't be taking your place; she'd just be occupying your space. I didn't think I could before, but I have room for you both. You'll always be with me as long as Nathan lives. I just won't be alone anymore. Sam makes me happy and helps me with the hole you left in me. She wants to be with me and I believe she loves me. I just need to know that you're ok with this. I have to know that you approve."

Sam smiled and backed away to her room. He loved her and wanted to be with her. He was in so much pain and all she could do was wait.

Freddie sat on the bed for awhile and then started to get up. He placed both hands on the edge of the bed to push up and then it happened. Since his wedding day his ring had never been off his hand, not once. As he pushed up with his left hand the ring slid off his hand and landed on the floor at his feet. He sat back down and held his hand up to his face. For Four and a half years the ring hand been on his hand and the lack of its weight left him a little stunned. He looked up to the heavens and felt a tear slide down his face. He shook his head and whispered, "Thank you, I love you Noel."

He picked up the ring and sat it on the night stand and stood up and left the room.

Sam had just removed the sweat pants she had on and was clad in her tee-shirt. She turned at the sound of Freddie entering her room and asked, "Freddie is everything ok?"

He answered by placing his arms around her waist and lifting her up, placing a kiss on her lips.

She tried to talk, but his lips prevented it. She was still trying to make sense of what was happening when her hand brushed Freddie's left hand and she stopped. She felt the ring finger up and down.

"Mhffrm?" she tried to say.

Freddie just shook his head yes and licked her lips. She smiled and began to battle his tongue with her own. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began to moan as they backed toward the bed. She ripped his shirt and the buttons flew everywhere. They fell to the bed and suddenly Freddie pulled away and broke his lip lock on Sam.

Breathing heavy Sam slammed her head down on the bed and cried, "AAAAHHH, what the hell Freddie, now what's wrong?"

He walked to the door and closed it and then locked it. He turned around with a huge grin and dropped his pants. Sam smiled and blushed at her outburst. Freddie waddled over to the bed and she suddenly noticed just how happy he really was.

"OH MY!" she said.

It was the biggest cake he had ever seen. It was at least twice as big as him and it was yellow, his favorite. There was ice cream all around him and chocolate fudge flowed freely from several fountains. Nathan was sure this was heaven and that he was dead. He jumped onto the cake and bounced. He bounced so hard that he couldn't stop, he bounced and bounced. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't. He was now worried that he may never stop bouncing ever. He then heard a voice from above, it was giggling and laughing and calling to him:

"Squirt, squirt, squirt!"

Nathan's eyes snapped open and he saw Sam jumping up and down on his bed. But this was Monday, what… and it hit him. At three years old he knew that things were about to change. He leapt up and started to bounce on the bed with Sam and yelled at the top of his three year old voice:

"YA WHO!"

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I hope you like just one more chapter to go to tie things up! Thank you to all of you who have read this and have reviewed.

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I would like to dedicate this chapter and the story itself to pigwiz, who has some of the best stories out here. After reading them I decided to try my hand at a future seddie story. I hope mine is just a tenth as good as theirs.

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Chapter 10 soon!


	10. The End of The Beginning

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 10:

The End Of The Beginning

After showering and call work to say she was going to take the day off, Sam dressed and walked down to Freddie's room to get a kiss. As she entered the room, she saw Freddie standing in front of the bathroom mirror with a towel wrapped around his waist (she noticed that even his back was sexy) and Nathan standing on a large stool with a towel wrapped around him. They both had shaving cream on their faces and while Freddie had a real razor, Nathan had a "Booger Bear" play razor and both men were shaving. She smiled and felt her heart swell just a little at the sight. It was just such a sweet and pure moment that she almost wanted to cry. She took out her phone and found a spot where she could catch both of their reflections in the mirror and snapped a picture.

"Well there are my men," She grinned as she walked up behind the pair.

"Just getting a smooth shave Aunt Sam," Nathan smiled at her.

"We do this every morning," Freddie said as he finished the last stroke with the razor. He wiped the excess soap from his face and ran a hand over his face.

"Now you know that's not the way to check," Sam leered at him.

"Oh really," he smiled, "and what is the proper way?"

Sam leaned up into Freddie and ran her hand across his face and then stood on her tip toes and kissed him lightly on the lips, "Mmmm, very smooth."

"What about me?" Nathan giggled as the two broke apart from the kiss.

"Well let me just see," Sam smiled, and bent down and kissed both cheeks and ran her hand across his face, "Freddie, I can't see you anymore; I've met a man who's just to handsome for me to let go of!"

"Wait, wait, dude we need the smell good stuff," the boy looked at Freddie and smiled.

"Oh yes, we mustn't forget the smell good stuff," he smiled and winked at Sam as he pulled the after shave out and splashed some on his hands and rubbed on Nathan's face and then some on his own. He then took out some cologne and rubbed some on Nathan's chest and some through his own hairy chest.

"Now smell me Aunt Sam," Nathan grinned.

"Oh, be still my heart," she rolled her eyes and began to kiss him all over the face.

"Hey dude, that's my girlfriend," Freddie laughed.

"Not anymore, I'm going to leave you for him, his scent is driving me wild," Sam and Nathan laughed.

"Dude go get dressed and head down and get some cereal, and close the door on your way out, I need to talk to Sam for a minute," he smiled at the boy.

"Dude and Sam sitting in a tree k- I- s- s- I- n- g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes dude with a baby carriage," Nathan sang as he left and shut the door.

"Smart kid," Sam said leering at Freddie with a slight gleam in her eyes, "let momma she if you put that cologne on right."

She walked up to him and placed her nose in the middle of his chest and breathed in deeply. A deep sexual moan escaped her throat and she laid her head in the soft hair and placed her hands on him and began to run her fingers through his hairy chest. She felt something poke her in the stomach and smiled up at him, "I'll lock the door," and as she left she took the towel from around his waist with her, "I never knew fathers could be so sexy!"

They spent the day going to the zoo, a museum, and then they went a park and let Nathan run the rest of his energy out. Freddie and Sam held hands when they walked and Sam would sometimes lay her head on his arm as they walked. She found that she couldn't stop smiling for any reason. She discovered that as much as she had loved Freddie before, she loved him even more now. The Gordon's of the world could never touch her or hurt her anymore. She also knew that she would never come home and find Freddie in bed with another man or woman for that matter. If the past twenty-four hours were any indication, other than for meals and time with Nathan, they may never leave the bed. Sam squeezed his hand and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Can you watch Nathan for just a minute, I REALLY need to find the restroom?" Freddie asked her.

"Sure thing babe," she smiled and Freddie took off at a very brisk pace and made her laugh. She never saw him take out his phone and dial it.

He came back a few moments later and she had to laugh as she told him, "The um barn door is still open, but the bull is still in."

He quickly reached down and pulled the zipper up and turned red, "Not a good thing to do in a park full of kids," he said.

Sam lost it at that point and began to laugh so hard that she snorted again which broke Freddie up and soon the two of them were staring off in different directions so they could stop laughing. While in that position Freddie's phone rang.

"Hello," he said, "Now! Well it does put a crimp in my day, but I'll be there in about an hour."

"Oh no," Sam said sadly, "you have to go in?"

"Yes, sometimes it sucks to be the owner," Freddie said glumly, "We'll drop you at your place so you can get ready and after I sign these papers I'll go home and get ready and pick you up about six-thirty for our date."

"Sounds good to me, Nathan honey we have to go," she yelled.

"So you two are going on a date?" Carly asked, "And what exactly happened last night? It looks to me like your very relaxed, the kind of relaxed that you get when you've had sex. Did you have sex last night young lady?"

Sam sat back into Carly's couch, her shoes off and her bare feet crossed on the couch with her, "I did not have sex last night, I had sex FOUR times last night and TWICE this morning thank you!"

Carly and Sam both screamed and stood and did a happy dance.

"Details, I need details, NOW!" Carly demanded.

"He talked to Noel last night, and later came into my room and just kissed me and well took me," San giggled, "He took the ring off and well, oh my God, Carly I think I passed out at one point. I lost count of how many I had; I even had a few after we stopped. He was so tender and then, woof, I know why Noel looks so happy in the pictures I've seen of her. He may have on been with the two of us, but he sure must have studied somewhere. Oh Carly, I'm so far gone now that I can't be saved. This has been the best day of my life EVER!"

Carly smiled and hugged her friend and whispered, "I bet it could get better."

At six-thirty, Carly opened the door and Freddie entered with three dozen long stem roses and a box of candy. Sam stood at the top of the stairs in a blue strapless dress that come down to just above her knees. She had hose on and matching blue heels.

Freddie's mouth hung open and Nathan said, "Gosh Aunt Sam, you look beautiful!"

"Um… yeah, what he said," Freddie stammered.

They said goodnight to Carly and Nathan and left. As they got on the elevator, Freddie looked down at her and saw the pig bracelet he had given her back in high school on her wrist and smiled. He also looked down her dress.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"I wasn't looking, I was leering at your boobs for the first time," he said as he looked forward.

'You better leer at my ass as we walk out too," she sternly warned him.

He followed her command and even cupped one cheek, which made her blush and sent a shiver up her spine.

The dinner was perfect. They ate and talked and laughed. Freddie got up to go the restroom and Sam sat there with the same goofy smile on her face that she had had on all day. As she looked around she saw some old friends, Wendy, Lilly, Brad, Gibby, her boss Carrie, and her sister Melanie!

"What the hell are you all doing here, spying on us?" Sam asked, she saw Carly walk in and they noticed that everyone was dressed up.

"I asked them to come," Freddie said to her.

She turned around and found herself facing Freddie and Nathan, "What?"

Both men walked toward and got down on one knee and both produced boxes. Nathan's box had a charm that would fit on her bracelet that said "MOM" with a diamond in the middle of the 'o'.

"Samantha Puckett would you do me the honor of being my mom?" Nathan smiled.

"Samantha Puckett would you do me the honor of being my wife?" Freddie smiled.

Sam couldn't hold the tears back or keep the smile off her face, "Yes, oh my God, YES!"

"Dude she's not happy she's crying, I thought you said she would be happy," Nathan complained.

"Oh honey, I am happy, but sometimes girls cry," Sam said as she picked him up.

"So will you be my mom?"

"Yes I will," she beamed at him, and they put her charm on.

She then stood and Freddie put the ring on her hand and they kissed.

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I know I said that this was going to be the last chapter, but as you can see it got away from me so I need one more chapter for the wedding.

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	11. The End of The Beginning Part 2

The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

Chapter 11:

The End Of The Beginning Part 2

The three months leading up to the wedding had flown by. Carly was in her element, having taken on the job of planning the whole thing. They had moved Sam's things to the house, except for the bed, and Freddie had a flurry of activity at work getting things ready for the month long absence he planned to take after.

They left the bed At Sam's place because; well because they had a lot of time to make up for. Nathan had stopped calling Sam "Aunt Sam" and just called her Sam till the wedding, and then he could call her "Mom" like he wanted too. Sam and Nathan had become the "dynamic duo" of play. Sam found the more time she spent with him the more in love she became with him.

"Ok Sam," Carly smiled at her, "your bachelorette party will start at seven tonight, so maybe you should rest," and she winked at her friend.

"Carly, please don't tell me you got a stripper, I asked you not to," Sam looked at her.

"Oh did you?" she grinned at her, "I totally missed that. Well I think you'll be pleased with the men I picked out, besides the other women would be so upset without them."

Freddie and Nathan stopped by on the way home and told Sam goodnight.

"One more day till "mom"," Nathan said as he hugged Sam and gave her a kiss.

"One more day squirt till "son"," Sam beamed back at him.

Freddie loved the way the two of them got along, and did find that it turned him on to see Sam so maternal, who knew being "motherly" could be so sexy!

"Have a goodtime tonight babe and I'll see you at the altar tomorrow at ten," Freddie told her as he picked her up in a hug and planted a very passionate kiss on her.

"Please, small child and single lonely woman here, so stop that. Besides you can do that after tomorrow all you want," Carly joked, "Now I understand your best man is throwing you a bachelor party tonight."

"We're going to watch a "PG" movie and the gingerbread women are topless," Nathan smiled.

"Nathan," Freddie said sharply, "where did that come from? That's not an appropriate thing to say!"

"Grandma Benson helped me make them," Nathan said sadly.

They all laughed and Freddie hugged the boy and said, "Its ok dude, I'll talk to Grandma about it."

By eight-thirty the bachelorette party was in full swing. Sam had opened the gifts and most of them were things that would be very fun on the honeymoon. The ladies were having a great time when someone knocked on the door. Carly opened it and a large box was wheeled in.

"Well it has your name on it Sam, I guess you better open it," Carly smiled.

"Carly, strippers, really?" Sam asked.

Sam opened the box and found what looked like a huge boom box radio in it and a button marked "press" on it. She rolled her eyes and looked at Carly and pushed the button.

The song "It's Raining Men" began to play and the elevator opened and out popped Gibby, Nathan, and Freddie dressed in raincoats. Nathan took the front row and Freddie and Gibby stood in the back, and the trio began to dance.

Sam fell into the couch laughing, and all the women began to hoot and cheer.

As the men turned around, they threw open their coats and flung them into the crowd. Nathan then began to do some type of strut around the room, shaking every part of his body that he could shake. The room went wild. Sam found it almost impossible to breath, she was laughing so hard. Tears streamed down her face. Freddie came up close to Sam and began to gyrate in her face and she found that she could no longer control herself. She thought she just might wet herself. The song ended and the three men took a bow and retreated to the elevator and left.

As Sam walked down the aisle she was struck by how handsome her two men looked. Nathan had on a small tux and Freddie looked like the answer to a prayer. She smiled under the veil as she walked. It had taken her over ten years, a bad marriage, and an assault, but she had the happy ending she had so wanted all her life. She knew that finally love had found her.

"Sam, I was in a very dark place when we ran into each other again. You brought light and happiness back into my life. You accepted Nathan and me without question. I promise that I'll spend the rest of my life trying to give you back the love and light you have brought into my life."

"Freddie, I've spent my whole life with as a part of me. You were my first kiss and my first true love. When you came back into my life I was missing something. You and Nathan have filled the hole that was in me with love and I will spend the rest of my life giving you both all that I have."

"I now pronounce you man and…," the preacher said.

"MOM!" Nathan shouted and ran to hug Sam.

Everyone laughed and Freddie said, "Easy dude, I get first dibs today," he smiled and leaned into Sam and they kissed.

"Mom?"

"Yes son."

"How long will you and dude be gone?"

"A week."

"Mom?"

"Yes son."

"When will you adopt me?"

"As soon as we get back baby."

"Mom?"

"Yes son."

"Will you and dude bring me something back from the islands?"

"Sure son. What would you like?"

"A brother or a sister."

"I promise we will work on that the whole time we're gone."

"Mom?"

"Yes son."

"I love you."

"I love you too my son"

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I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the kind words and reviews. I hope to start an adventure story next. It will be another future story.


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